July 3, 201402 Vol. 6 • No. 7

26

10

July 3, 2014 • Volume 6 • Issue 7

715 Kirby St.Lake Charles, LA 70601Phone: 337-436-7800Fax: 337-990-0262www.louisianajam.com PublisherPhil de Albuquerquephil@louisianajam.com

Executive EditorLauren de Albuquerquelauren@louisianajam.com

ContributorsNicole Shuff ArabieLisa AddisonGeorge ClineDan EllenderBraylin JenkinsMelony Rue LeMayMike McHughRoger MillerMary Louise RuehrBrandon ShoumakerKarla TullosCalvin TylerDavid Yantis

Salessales@louisianajam.comNew GuyCalvin Tyler

GraphicsArt/Production DirectorBurn Rourk

Associate PhotographerJohnny OwensCajun Pirate Photgraphy

BusinessOffi ce ManagerJeanie Taggart

Legal Disclaimer

The views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not necessarily refl ect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.

The Jambalaya News is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, LLC, 715 Kirby Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 436-7800. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. The Jambalaya News cannot be held responsible for the return of un-solicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. The views expressed do not necessarily refl ect those of the publisher.Copyright 2014 The Jambalaya News all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

COVER STORY26 One Man’s Vision: Riverside Resort

REGULARS6 We Are SWLA!8 The Dang Yankee8 Adoption Corner9 Tips From Tip10 This Functional Family12 Soul Matters13 Stir Dat Pot!14 Fishin’ Tales16 Sports Report

FEATURES4 How to Get Your Child to READ!

18 Mike McVey: Local Wisdom

22 LSBDC at McNeese

23 SBA Helps Small Businesses Grow

THE SPICE OF SWLA30 Event Guide

32 Family Fun Night at the Movies

33 Funbolaya

34 Red Hot Books

36 Nightlife Guide

41 Society Spice

13

On cover: The Lady of the Lake at the Riverside Resort

3234

18

July 3, 2014 03Vol. 6 • No. 7

I lived in downtown Boston for most of my life. Now I live in downtown Lake Charles. And nothing could be more different.

Living downtown in a big city was amazing. I’d step outside and in a matter of seconds I could be at a French restaurant or a gour-met food store. The world was at my fingertips. Shops, eateries, bars, hotels, galleries. The Bos-ton Marathon runners literally sprinted by my door. I could actu-ally walk to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Theater District. I can’t tell you how many times I would be coming home from work only to have a production assistant clutching a clipboard run up to me and tell me I couldn’t get into my building just yet because they were filming a movie or a commercial on my picturesque streets—plural because I moved around a lot in my younger years.

I eventually bought a condo in the South End where I think I spent my happiest years of city living. It was a real neighborhood where we all knew one another and watched out for each other, unlike the Back Bay, which was dog eat dog. Survival of the fit-test—and the richest.

There was an amazing fish

store around the corner on Shaw-mut Ave. in the South End where I would buy shrimp and lobster and Dover sole. And next to it, a produce store run by an old Greek man who sold only the best. If you were a regular, he’d throw in extra just because. It was the place to go if you wanted to buy, say, edible flowers or Jerusalem artichokes, but he also had the usual stuff like corn on the cob and peaches. There was usually a line and he moved really fast, so you couldn’t just stand there for a moment and think about what you wanted. You’d better have a list, and you’d better keep talking. It’s Boston, af-ter all. That’s how it’s done there.

Mildred Peirce’s was the name of the coffee shop on the cor-ner of my street—Tremont and Waltham. Named after the old Joan Crawford movie, there were huge photos of the star on the wall and they served amazing desserts and huge cups of coffee and tea. It was open very late, so people would wander in after the theater and the clubs closed. On the other corner was a little French cafe’ whose name escapes me now. And it was really French—the menu was in French and the chef was French. I remember the big bowls

of onion soup topped with gooey fromage--perfect on a blustery au-tumn evening.

Around the corner on Shawmut was the On the Park that served the best Eggs Benedict in town for Sunday brunch. Lisa was the chef/owner and I would always walk my Scottie dog by there every night after work. The door to their kitchen opened on to the street so you could stand in the doorway and chat with the folks in there and see (and smell) what was cooking. And every night they gave Samba a doggie biscuit. I loved sleeping in my oversized On the Park T-shirt, and when Samba had her cancer surgery at that overpriced animal hospital in New York, I put that shirt in her crate and left it with the techs for her so she could have my scent on her. Sad memory… and one I completely forgot about until I started writing about the restau-rant.

A funky housewares boutique called Fresh Eggs was nearby and was run by a woman from Ire-land. She had a pet turtle named Ming who lived quite the life in a big fancy rock garden pool in the shop. But occasionally, Ming wanted to do some exploring. The shop was in the basement of the building, but somehow,

Ming managed to navigate the set of stairs going up to the street and you’d see him heading down Tremont St. going pretty fast for a turtle. One of us would have to pick him up and bring him back, where he’d get a snack of dried shrimp and then go to sleep on his rock. A few days later, he’d make another run for it. I never knew a turtle could have so much personality.

All of these places I’ve men-tioned are long gone, except for the fish store, which is still there. I’m sure equally fabulous estab-lishments have taken their place that everyone flocks to. The peo-ple who bought my condo lived there a few years and then sold it. I wonder who’s there now, sitting out on my deck overlooking the park, cooking in my little kitchen, enjoying a fire on a cold winter’s night. I hope they’re enjoying it, and the neighborhood, as much as I did.

A Note From Lauren

Lauren de Albuquerque

My Old Neighborhood

July 3, 201404 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Your child has just told you, “I hate to read!”

Help! As a librarian, teacher, and

a parent, hearing those words really hurts. My genuine pas-sion is to motivate students to develop a lifelong love of reading. The only way to become a better reader is to READ, READ, READ!

Reading just 20 minutes a day helps to develop skills in reading comprehension and following directions,

along with writing, spelling and vocabulary. Avid readers do extremely well in school because reading and under-standing what you read is an essential life skill in the In-formation Age. For whatever reason, the child who hates reading has somehow been “turned off.” They may feel it is boring, uncool or that it is just something they are forced to do at school.

But that can change. Here’s how to get your child to read:

Tip 1: Take anInterest Inventory

Spend time together and talk to your child. What interests them? What do they like? Do they have any hob-bies? What would they like to read about? Make an interest inventory list: sports, fash-ion, famous people, favorite school subjects, activities, technology, cars, cooking, art, music, dance, crafts, animals, pets, horses, gaming, mys-teries, scary stories, super

heroes, etc. Find books that focus on the specific interests on their level. Yes, it is that simple! Half of your “Get ‘em to want to read” battle is won!

Tip 2: Find Reading Materials

Reading is reading! It does not matter what they read about, they are reading! There is a variety of things to choose from: magazines, books, comic books, graphic novels, online articles, news-papers, encyclopedias, e-Books to read on a computer, iPad, Nook or Kindle. The goal is to get them to read!

Tip 3: Buy BooksA child will always want

to read a book that they have handpicked for themselves. Many stores have a magazine or book section, and a trip to a large bookstore (Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble) can be fun. Explore! Let

By Melony Rue LeMay, MLIS

July 3, 2014 05Vol. 6 • No. 7

your child figure out what they like and let them choose what they want to read. Use it as a positive incentive and buy it for them. Get a bever-age, sit, relax and read. Hot Tip: for inexpensive used books; shop at thrift shops and book sales.

Tip 4: Public Libraries are FREE!

Go visit your local public library. You both need to get library cards! Take a tour to see what is available to read because all of the items are free to check out with your library card. There are wide varieties of fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs, audio books, e-Books, com-puters, Internet access, and much more. Make sure to talk to the Juvenile or Young Adult Librarian for help and for information on upcoming events and programs.

Tip 5: Talk to Your School Librarian

Visit your child’s school library. A librarian is an educated professional trained to help your child read. Let them help you. They track trends and talk to students about what they like. The school librarian can assist-ance your student to find age-appropriate, high-interest level books.

Tip 6: READ Together

Children frequently pick up their parents’ habits. If they see you read, they will learn that you value reading. Read together one-on-one or have “Family Read” time! Read out loud to them and have them read to you. Sharing is a great way to encourage reading and spend quality time together. Just READ…

everything will follow.

HAPPY READING!Melony Rue LeMay, MLIS,

is the librarian at Oak Park Middle School in Lake Charles. She was CPSB and LLA School Librarian of the Year 2013 and LSU Project Recovery Scholar. She received her Master of Library and Informa-tion Science, LSU 2011and Master of Elem. Education grades 1-8, MSU 1995 + 30

July 3, 201406 Vol. 6 • No. 7

New Assistant Baseball Coach for McNeese Cowboys

McNeese head baseball coach Justin Hill has kicked off his first full offseason by naming former all-American and Major League Draft pick Roberto Vaz as an as-sistant coach for the Cowboys. Vaz replaces Matt Collins who accepted a similar posi-tion at Stephen F. Austin. Vaz’s duties at McNeese will include serving as the team’s hitting coach, working with the outfielders and coaching third base. He will also assist with recruiting. Vaz, a native of Brooklyn,

New York, comes to McNeese after serving three seasons as assist-ant baseball coach at LSU Eunice. His expertise and coaching style helped lead the Bengals to a 151-28 record along with a National Championship in 2012 and a National runner up title in 2013.

SOWELA Receives $50,000 Gift from Era GroupSOWELA Technical Community College received a $50,000

gift from Houston-based Era Group, Inc. Era is one of the larg-est helicopter transport providers in the world and the longest serving helicopter transport operator in the U.S. The $50,000 gift will be used to complete Phase I of the ACT 360 initiative to build a new $8 million Student Success building on SOWELA’s Lake Charles campus in 2015. With Era’s gift, the college has raised over $980,000 to fulfill the 12 percent match required by the State. Phase II will include a $10 million building which will require SOWELA to raise another $1.2 million from the private sector.

Red, White, Blue & You Top 20 EventThe Southeast Tourism Society recently honored the Red,

White, Blue & You festival as a 2014 Top 20 Event for the month of July. The 22nd annual Red, White, Blue & You fes-tival will feature a parade through downtown Lake Charles, an outdoor concert featuring the Lake Charles Community Band and Market Blue Bluegrass, and everyone’s favorite fire-works extravaganza over beautiful Lake Charles. The South-west Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau is a member of STS, an organization that promotes travel to and within the southeastern part of the United States.

Cheniere Energy Donates to National Hurricane Museum

The National Hurricane Museum & Science Center announces a generous donation of $200,000 from Cheniere Energy to ad-vance the capital campaign to build the Museum in Lake Charles. Cheniere’s contribution is an important part of the $36 million raised to-date to build the facility. In the 2014 session of the Loui-siana legislature, lawmakers approved over $28 million in funding support for the Center.

IBERIABANK Names VP of Business BankingIBERIABANK (www.iberiabank.

com), the 127-year-old subsidiary of IBERIABANK Corporation, is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Kyle Duplantis to Vice President of Business Banking for Southwest Louisiana. Duplan-tis has been with the Company for over a year and has strong business banking and consumer lending experience. He started working in banking and finance in 1996. Duplantis is a graduate of Nicholls State University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in government and a minor in man-agement. His office is located at 2911 Ryan Street in Lake Charles. He can be reached by phone at 312-7107 or by email at kyle.duplantis@iberiabank.com.

LC Symphony Announces 2014-2015 BoardThe Lake Charles Symphony ushers in the 2014/2015 season

with new and familiar faces to its Board of Directors. Barbara Bai-ley, President, welcomes back to the Executive Committee Karen Drewett, President-Elect, Beverly Schalon, Recording Secretary, Laura Monk, Pat Gallaugher and Marty Thompson, Members

Patricia Philmon, VP of the SOWELA Foundation Board, SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall, Paul White, Sr. VP Domestic Era Group Inc., and Ben Hulshoff,

Era Helicopters LLC

Roberto Vaz

Mayor Randy Roach and Denise Fasske with Mike Dees, Board Chairman, LC/SWLA Convention & Visitors Bureau

Kyle Duplantis

July 3, 2014 07Vol. 6 • No. 7

at Large. Newly elected Board members are Dr. Dennis Donald, Angela Guth, Joyce Mendelson, Laurie Martin, Willie Mount, Janet Ritchie, Paula Stebbins and Barbara Swan. Returning Board members are Jayde Butler, Stan Chapman, Susan Cormier, Linda Dalgleish, Emery DeSonier, Bill Dutridge, Miller Flynt, Angela Guth, Debbie Howrey, Tiffany Jones, Dr. Sandra Leder, Angie Manning, Dorothy McDaniel, Corelie Pohorelsky, Patricia Prud-homme, Collette Bulber Tanner, and Kacee Tate.

Citgo Signs on as Fusion Five Corporate Sponsor

CITGO is the new corporate sponsor of Fusion Five, Southwest Louisiana’s young professionals’ or-ganization. CITGO presented Fusion Five with a $3,000 check to promote continuous commu-nity involvement for their current and incoming young employees. Fusion Five plans to use the sponsor-ship dollars to continue providing professional development op-portunities and regional involvement for young professionals and positively impacting Southwest Louisiana through networking.

Family & Youth Receives Children’s Law AwardFamily & Youth Counseling Agency, Inc. was chosen as the

recipient of the 2014 Children’s Law Award, presented by the Louisiana State Bar Association, during an awards ceremony held recently at the Louisiana Supreme Court Building in New Orleans. Only one award is given each year to an organization that has made significant contributions to the provision of services on behalf of the children of Louisiana. Family & Youth was selected to receive this award because of its business model that promotes and sup-ports the integration of key service models under the “Family & Youth” umbrella.

LC Coca Cola Bottling Gives BackLC Coca Cola donated $5,000 as part of their ongoing support

to the SWLA Alliance Foundation’s SWLA on the Move campaign. The current plan of work under the Campaign is to address the critical issues facing our region: workforce development, business recruitment, business retention and expansion, regional market-ing, and building a single voice for a true regional partnership. The Chamber and the SWLA Alliance Foundation are part of the South-west Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.

Don Morris

CITGO Engineers and Fusion Five members, Jon Paul Zimmerman, Morgan Mestas and Mandy Michalko with

Fusion Five Chair Ashli Waldrep and CITGO Communications Specialist and Fusion Five Vice Chair April Altazan

Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette J. Johnson; President and CEO of Family & Youth, Julio Galan; and LA State Bar Association President, Richard K. Leefe Tammy Murchison

George Swift (SWLA Economic Development Alliance President & CEO),Ken Francis (LC Coca-Cola) and Blaine Royer (LC Coca-Cola)

BancorpSouth Opens LakeCharles, Louisiana Loan Production Offi ce

BancorpSouth Bank, subsidiary of BancorpSouth, Inc. (NYSE: BXS), has an-nounced the opening of the bank’s loan pro-duction office in Lake Charles at 4660 Lake Street. BancorpSouth’s new office is staffed by a group of financial services industry veterans including Don Morris, first vice president in commercial banking, and Tam-my Murchison, senior loan administrative assistant. Morris is a native of Lake Charles and graduated from McNeese in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in finance. He began his banking career with Texas Commerce Bank and most recently joined BancorpSouth as First Vice President of Commercial Bank-ing. Tammy Murchison is a Lake Charles native and graduate of SOWELA Technical Community College. Her previous bank-ing experience includes positions with First National Bank and First Federal Bank of Louisiana. She most recently joined Ban-corpSouth as Senior Loan Administrative Assistant of Commercial Banking.

July 3, 201408 Vol. 6 • No. 7

One of the best fundraising concepts to have come along in recent years is the “silent auc-tion.” Just about every organi-zation nowadays has one at its events, and it’s proven to be a gold mine, especially at func-tions where alcohol is served.

At a silent auction, people write their bids on a piece of paper rather than answer to the call of a live auctioneer. It’s a better way of doing it, in my opinion, since most auctioneers are about as intelligible as Alvin the Chipmunk on crystal meth. Because of this, buyers rarely know what they agreed to pay until it’s time to write the check, when it’s too late to back out.

This makes the silent auction a big improvement over tradi-tional auctions. Come to think of it, there are a lot of things in this world that can be improved by making them silent. The exhaust system on my redneck neighbor’s monster truck imme-diately comes to mind.

Most of the items at a silent auction are donated from lo-cal businesses. It’s a great deal for a business, as it gets a tax write-off while shedding inven-tory that no one in his right mind would normally pay good money for. But when it goes for auction, the competitive spirit kicks in, and people end up in wild bidding wars over stuff that a Goodwill store would turn down.

Sometimes, though, you’ll find an exceptional item for bid at a silent auction. In such cases, it’s an advantage to have your banker on speed dial when closing time approaches, and the bidding gets as fierce as the stock exchange trading floor at the height of the dotcom bub-ble. A heavy club also comes in handy at such times as you make your way to the bidding sheet.

Recently, I had the fortune to score a fine item at a silent auc-tion without having to resort to such heavy-handed tactics. The

prize was a beautiful bar, built of hardwood with an acrylic top that was decorated with various drink coasters. When I first laid eyes on it, I thought it was just part of the décor, but when I saw the bidding sheet taped to it, I knew it had to be mine. Never mind that winning it would mean having to take it home that day, in spite of us having come in my wife’s sportscar. It would be like trying to transport a grand piano on a bicycle, but when that competitive spirit takes over, you don’t seem to consider such trivialities.

The person I most thank for my good fortune is a musician by the name of Sunny Jim. He was performing that afternoon, and just as the auction was about to close, he broke into his signature number, a song called “Monkey Party.” Whenever Jim plays “Monkey Party,” everybody in attendance mobs the dance floor like crows in a Wal-Mart parking lot on a bag of French

fries. They throw stuffed mon-keys back and forth for the du-ration of the song, which keeps them busy.

It was the perfect diversion. While everybody else was fling-ing monkeys at each other like schoolgirls at a pillow fight, I swooped in and entered the winning bid. It happened so fast that I still had time to retreat to the dance floor and toss a mon-key or two.

I’m happy to say that my new bar looks great in the garage. Now I just have to figure out what to do with it when the car comes back from having the shocks replaced.

Mike McHugh’s column has appeared in “The Jambalaya News” for nearly five years. He also contributes stories to the “Not Your Mother’s Book” anthology series and makes public speaking appearances. To inquire about having him speak to your group, contact Mike at thedangyankee@mail.com.

Silence of the Monkeys

Lucy is one of our newest additions. This little one is our mystery girl--she appears to be primarily dachshund but it is anyone’s guess what the rest

of her heritage is. Al-though she looks seri-ous in her photo, she is quite a happy girl and loves playing with other dogs, large or small. She is about 18 months old

so is full grown with a weight of about 14-15 pounds. With regu-lar walks, she could be an excel-lent apartment dweller. For more information, call or email (337) 478-7294; lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check and home visit re-quired prior to all adoptions.

Can’t adopt? Consider foster-ing. Can’t foster? Consider spon-soring! LAPAW dogs (and cats) can be seen at www.lapaw.org.

Featured by LAPAW RescueContact us at www.lapaw.org

July 3, 2014 09Vol. 6 • No. 7

Fun on Nelson RoadAnyone traveling in the

Nelson Road and McNeese Street intersection area has encountered the new traffi c poles glued down to the road surface that really screw up the fl ow of traffi c there even worse than before. Th ere must be a hex on Nelson Road, which becomes an agility course from the Target Shopping Center to Gauthier Road. Th e new traffi c poles are a guaranteed accident waiting to happen (some of them are already damaged), the Walmart and Panera dodge-‘em cars are a free for all, then there’s the maze of school traffi c at Prien Lake Elementary and Don’s Express Car Wash. And don’t forget the chaos of traffi c being shut down to one lane southbound at McNeese Street when too many vehicles want to turn east. Th at route is as fun-fi lled as any heart patient would ever want. Y’all have fun out there, ya hear?

Read the Fine Print“It’s like getting it for free,”

or so the advertisement reads. Well yeah, but as always, there’s the fi ne print. Th e require-ments have been set up so that in order to realize your savings, you will have to return to that merchant and wind up spend-ing even more money (which is their intent). Th e marketing world has made some promo-tions so diffi cult, yet touted as such a great deal, that your eyes

will glaze before you fi nish reading all the information. It would be great if BOGO (buy one, get one)

off ers were not at double the nor-mal price or

nearly so; if you didn’t have to shop with

a calculator to keep track

of the number of items you need

to buy to get a decent price, and if the signage on the shelf was clear and concise so that you don’t grab the wrong

product when you’re trying to get the item that’s on sale. Hav-ing been in business for many years, I know that making a profi t is necessary to survive, but treating your customers fair-ly and squarely will make them lifetime satisfi ed customers.

Increase in CrimeWe can’t help but notice the

increase in crime everywhere. You must be a wary citizen. Remember, the bad guys have already taken the time to plan how to get you, but you may have less than a second to react. We commend Chief Dixon and Sheriff Mancuso for their dili-gence in catching the folks that prey on us. Recent arrests show that we have more criminals in our midst than we like to be-lieve, but it is up to all of us to be careful and be aware of our surroundings. Th e police road-blocks, where 1,200 vehicles are stopped and grandma gets a ticket for an expired inspection sticker need to be reassessed. Th ere has to be a better use of overtime police hours to protect citizens from serious crime.

Supermarket Roundup

As our issue comes out on one of the holidays we love to celebrate, our shopping sur-vey selects a few of the more popular beverages that are consumed as we gather with friends and family on the 4th

of July. Our prices were gathered on Thursday, June 26 and reflect the posted price on the shelf where the product was placed for sale. The stores we checked were: Albertsons-Country Club Road, Market Basket-Nelson Road, Kroger-McNeese Street and Walmart-Nelson Road.

Coca Cola, 12-ounce cans, 12-pack: Albertsons $2.96 (3/$8.88), Market Basket $4, Kroger $3 (4/$12), Walmart $3.

Budweiser Beer, 12-ounce bottles, 12-pack: Albertsons $9.99, Market Basket $9.99, Kroger $10.99, Walmart $9.99. E&J Brandy, VS, 750 ml bot-tle: Albertsons $9.99, Market Basket $9.89, Kroger $9.49, Walmart $9.97. Crown Royal Whiskey, 750 ml bottle: Albertsons $24.99, Market Basket $29.75, Kroger $25.99, Walmart $26.47.

July 3, 201410 Vol. 6 • No. 7

An ode to summertime has been making the rounds on Facebook and I love it:

SUMMER“Hair gets lighter,skin gets darker,water gets warmer, drinks get colder, music gets louder, nights get longer, life gets better!” Even though most of us still

have to work during the sum-mer, there is still something

very special about long, sun-splashed days and the slower, more relaxed pace. I try to take a little time off and I work my schedule around whatever adventures my kids and I come up with.

I recall so many memorable times with family and friends from summers past when I was growing up: trips to Galves-ton, long days in the water at Ouiska Chitto that ended with watermelon, sunburns, sand everywhere and smiles on our faces, Vacation Bible School,

going crabbing, Holly Beach, swimming every chance we got, slip ‘n slides and picnics.

And, every summer came something special: our annual trips to AstroWorld in Hou-ston, where we waited in line for rides in the hot sun know-ing that relief was coming in the form of two favorites: the Log Ride, where we looked for-ward to getting splashed, and the Alpine Sleigh Ride where a delicious blast of cold air would hit us just as the roller coaster entered the cave-like

structure. A huge, hairy Abom-inable Snowman would make an appearance about halfway through the experience and my siblings and I just loved it even though we shrieked every time he jumped out.

At lunchtime, we did what many other families did back then: we exited the park and went to our car and unloaded lunches that Mom had packed the night before. Most larger families (we had five kids in ours) couldn’t afford both the ticket admission as well as

The Livin’ is Easy

July 3, 2014 11Vol. 6 • No. 7

the expensive park lunches. We always looked forward to Mom’s because she always lovingly tucked in something extra along with our sand-wiches, such as homemade Rice Crispies treats or chocolate chip cookies. We would eat while sitting on blankets under a shade tree before making our way back into the park for a few more hours of fun. Sometimes, just before going back in, we would cut open a watermelon and my brothers would start a watermelon seed fight with us girls. My broth-ers are both gone now but oh, the memories of those precious long-ago days!

In later years, summer meant lying out by the pool with girlfriends. We’d set up a boom box, coat ourselves with baby oil, spritz Sun In all over our hair, talk about boys, and just wait for that golden tan that would help us look so cute in our adorable sundresses and sandals.

Now that I’m a mom, I try to give my kids wonderful sum-mer experiences as well and it’s never about spending tons of money or seeing if we can have a better vacation than someone else. It’s about the moments and just being together. One of my favorite memories was the summer my daughter was about 14 months old. We had a little baby pool in the backyard with a slip ‘n slide right next to it. Looking back at the pictures and seeing her chubby little legs toddling along the slip ‘n slide while my 4-year-old son stood in the baby pool eat-ing watermelon while looking at her never fails to make me smile.

So far, this summer has been just perfect with trips to the library, lots of swimming, Vaca-tion Bible School, riding bikes, visiting the parks, picnics, baseball, Holly Beach, times with family. And we have a few more things planned before the kids head back to school in early August. Some friends

that live in the country have invited us to spend a day with them and pick blackberries, ride ponies, go four-wheeling. We may squeeze in a day trip to Galveston. A trip to the zoo may happen.

I think we’ll have to visit Ouiska Chitto too before sum-mer’s end. After all, it’s one of Louisiana’s most scenic wa-terways, beginning near the southern boundary of Fort Polk in Vernon Parish and meander-ing for some 70 miles through Vernon, Beauregard and Allen parishes before entering the Calcasieu River. On our trips there, my dad would always find the perfect spot in the cold water to “bury” a watermelon. We’d return to the spot after a few hours of swimming and sunning and enjoy icy slices of delicious, sweet, ruby-red watermelon. I think we’ll start the same tradition for my little family because it’s all about creating memories.

Actually, our home is even paying homage to summer. The freezer is stocked with popsi-cles and other yummy treats and the kids have set up a small tent in our living room where they pretend to camp out. My daughter’s “dress up” costumes are all over the dining room, stacks of library books are on a corner table, bottles of sunscreen are scattered every-where, swimsuits are hanging on hooks in the bathroom. There will be plenty of time for a tidy house someday, but I have young children and we are just too busy living right now to worry about a perfect home.

Like the song goes, “Sum-mertime and the livin’ is easy.” I hope you have a great summer and make lots of wonderful new memories!

Lisa Addison writes for lo-cal, regional and national pub-lications. She has two school-aged children, never gets enough sleep, enjoys trying new recipes, is an avid reader, and loves going on adventures with her kids.

July 3, 201412 Vol. 6 • No. 7

that can set a person free. I thank God that He sent

beautiful people my way who were attractive in Spirit. Lov-ing, kind, gentle, compassion-ate, non-judgmental. Loving me right where I was at, and speaking the truth to me when I asked. I would take what they told me, and search the scrip-ture they gave me. They were always the voice of God’s grace, not fire and hate.

That is really super impor-tant to remember. It’s a way to measure, to know that it’s of God’s grace. None of us knows what a person has gone through in their life. So, we need to be very careful and gentle with the people God sends our way.

I count it a great honor to serve God, and “the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13: 13). God knows the proper time He is going to present Himself to someone, and quite often these days, He is using me to do it. I’ve learned to wait on that feeling within my spirit, be-cause it won’t go wrong if I do. The approach can make all the difference in the world to that person.

I made a personal choice to love God with all my heart, and be guided by Him on how to treat the lost and wounded. I always had religion in my life, but that doesn’t compare to this love relationship I have now. We all need someone who loves you no matter where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, but doesn’t want you to stay where you’re at.

I have so many friends, and people I meet every day, who are filled with heartache and pain, including myself. People who are struggling with sick-ness, death, divorce, or who are losing hope because of unan-swered prayers. I’ve seen chains that were broken from addic-tions, or someone living a not so good life style completely turned around.

God sometimes desires to do more than heal our situation. Whether it be physical, or a painful situation we are going through, God uses suffering to develop our character and spir-

itual growth. I personally have experienced this, and have seen things go from bad to worse. I know now that God used eve-rything to redirect me toward a desperate dependence on Him and to show me my purpose in life, and how to help others.

Maybe you choose to live life your way because it’s easier than asking God to change you. I can tell you, even though the sun is shining, you’re still in the dark. You may pray and want His light, but you’re still keeping one hand on the world. Deep inside, down in the deepest part of your heart, you try to hide what you’re ashamed of. You will even start to believe there’s no way that the pieces of your life that you hate are ever going to change.

Give Him your broken heart. Lift it up and let Him empty you of all your foolish pride. Let it go and live a life full of His GRACE. Push back the dark and see the light in your life. Go walk into your life and show no fear. Start loving and giving every chance you get.

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone that has been part of my life in the past thee years. On July 4, 2011 my life changed forever. I could not see before then. God reached down and picked me off the floor that day. I laid myself down and while I was there, I was found. I was tired and worn, I was lost and broken. My soul was crushed and dying inside. I rose up and have been reborn. I lifted my eyes up and God gave me the rest I needed desperately. He flooded my eyes with new vi-sion. I no longer see through my eyes, I see through His eyes. He gave me wings that day and whispered, “I want you to fly, my love, you no longer have broken wings.” I now live and love with all my heart. I’ve let go of who I used to be. I’m em-bracing who I have become.

To book a Soul Matters Ses-sion with Nicole Shuff Arabie, call (337) 540-6573. You can also go to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Declutter-ingYourSoul

The lyrics of this song are so true:

“Words can build you up, words can break you down. Start a fire in your heart, or put it out. Let my words be life, let my words be truth. I don’t wanna say a word unless it points the world to you.”

I recently experienced a personal attack in a way I never would have expected. Someone wanted to hurt me using their words in the form of two letters written with a typewriter and

delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Instead of allowing this person’s words to darken my life I stood up proudly. I will not respond in a way that is not of love. Instead I gave the letters to the authorities.

I will not carry this person’s words with me. I find that people seem to be pointing the finger at others rather than lov-ing the sinner right where they are. When asked a question, speak the truth in love. Don’t ever hold back the word of God

Let Your Words Be Life

July 3, 2014 13Vol. 6 • No. 7

Today we’re going to follow some of my basic rules:

Rule No. 1: Bacon + Any-thing = Better.Rule No. 2: Anything with garlic has got to be good.Rule No. 3: Butter makes things tasty.Wow!! Three rules in one

day. That’s a good start. I’m asked from time to

time to whip up some shrimp and grits. Even an old girl-

friend was a big fan. Here is a slight twist on the dish that I use to im-press. It’s also a great way to use leftover grits and if you double the recipe for the topping, it goes nicely on top

of rice or pasta shells (I prefer the shells).

Now let’s get started. First thing you are going to do is make

some grits, and if you’re using instant grits, shame on you. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits.

What You’ll Need6 cups of water1 teaspoon salt2 cups grits2 tablespoons butter1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

What You’ll DoBring the water, salt and

butter to a boil. Add the grits and stir, then stir in the cheese. Cook on low heat, covered, for about fi ve minutes, then remove from heat. Th e grits will continue to cook.

What You’ll NeedOne package of good baconOne pound of peeled and deveined 21-25 shrimp2 fresh jalapenos (seeded and diced)2-3 cloves minced garlic1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon butter½ an onion (diced)Your favorite season-all1 cup shredded parmesan cheeseChopped green onion for topping (optional)

What You’ll DoPlace bacon on a lined

sheet pan and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. (You can do this first before you make the grits if you’d like.) After the bacon is done, remove from pan and set aside. Pour the grease from the pan into a skillet. Add the olive oil and butter.

Bring to heat, and add everything except the ba-con and cheese. While all that goodness is cooking, chop the bacon and then add to mixture. Once the shrimp are done, stir in the cheese and season to taste.

Pour the grits into a large shallow bowl, top with the “Goodness,” garnish with the green onion and serve while hot. Great as an appe-tizer or as a side dish for brunch.

See y’all later and don’t forget to….

STIR DAT POT !!!

Grits with Cheesy Shrimp Bacon Topping

Tonya Meche

Wants Your Recipes!

You’ve all enjoyed “Tonya Meche’s Kitchen” in every issue as she brings us quick and tasty recipes that have been passed down in her family. Now, Tonya is ask-ing for YOUR recipes! Just email them to lauren@the-jambalayanews.com. She’ll try them out in her kitchen, and if she likes them, they’ll appear in The JAM! So pull out those cook-books and send some good cookin’ ideas our way!

July 3, 201414 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Heading out of the Cameron jetties with the first blush of dawn in our wake, Dr. Rocky Kent’s new 23-foot Robolo boat bounced over and splashed through the jetties’ churning waters. Chilled Heineken in hand, I knew life didn’t get any better than the 1985 July 4th Southwest Louisiana Fishing Rodeo. I raised my beer in a toast to warm breezes, sun, fun, and salt water fishing: ah La joie la vie!

The seas were a bit rough as we headed out to the in-close Gulf oil rigs. The waves usually evened out and lessened as you left the jetties behind. Usually. This time, the water went from rough chop to here-comes-seasickness six-foot swells. Trying the in-close structures for speckle trout and redfish, we boated little and none of size. So, we decided to head out to the far rigs for clearer calmer seas and keeper fish. While Rock guided us across

wave after wave, I hummed “Unchained Melody” perfectly off-key: “Lucky fishers flow to the sea, to the sea, to the open arms of the sea….” My apolo-gies to the Righteous Brothers and Elvis.

Another Heini in hand and standing knees bent to absorb the swells, I watched admir-ingly as Rocky maneuvered through the six-foot swells. He had grown up in Florida, fished the Gulf and The Keys, and was a master at saltwater fishing excursions. We had to find blue water, calmer seas and fish. Soon.

Instead, we found rising seas, wind and a summer thunder-storm. Rocky, ever the seasoned sea captain, decided to come about before the storm. If we were to drown, it would be much closer to home. Easier to find the bodies. It wasn’t until after Halloween of 1991 that The Perfect Storm was writ-ten and I had no desire to write

my own early version. Had to later, but that comes in my next tale: Victor Monsour and me in “Stormy Weather, Part 2.”

Greeting our flight back through rising seas was a storm coming out to meet us. “Oh, joy,” I thought. Rocky glanced back at me with that “Oh s____!” look. We plowed on, trapped in a fast failing evasion. Passing one of the close-in oil rigs, we rode the waves nearer and spotted a loading rope hanging from it.

“Use the bow rope to tie on to it,” Rock shouted above the wind and wall of rain trailing us.

“Let’s see. He wants me to scramble up the spray-slick bow, ride a wave up and use the bow rope to tie to the rig rope that’s swinging in the wind. All this on just three Heinekens,” I thought. I gave him my best are you out of your frickin’ mind scowl. What I got was a just-do-it! glare. Thus encouraged, I actually did it. My sister’s least favorite phrase is “God takes care of drunks and fools,” and He must.

We were now tied off away from the oil rig with one storm upon us and another raging toward us from shore. Rock said we could ride it out there. Thus assured, we put on life preserv-ers and ski belts. Were this to be our demise, they would find our fish-chewed corpses.

A case of mostly Roger-di-minished Heineken, two-fifths of gin, tonic, fresh limes, bitters and shaved ice for Hemingway

Coolers remained. We were set to show that “courage is grace under pressure.” The two storms merged and we rode in our own perfect storm in a world turned gray and darken-ing.

Dylan Thomas said, “Rage, rage, against the dying of the light.” Lightning flashes lit us and while we cursed the dark-ness, we did not rage. We just endured that dark night, bow hidden, as our tempest pelted, blasted, and bolted. Lightning flashes lit us up like strobe lights as we sipped coolers for courage.

Just as I was about to lay my head down on a boat cushion and politely pass out, there was a truly loud crack, a sonic-like boom, and a blinding streak of light. It was the only time in my drinking career that I went from drunk to sober in a flash. Momentarily dazed, the Rock gazed about him and then knew what to do.

“Get up on the bow and cut us lose. We’re riding the waves in,” he told me.

I scrambled up the bow, filet knife in hand and with a slash Jean Lafitte would have been proud of, cut us free. Rocky hit the throttle and we surfed the waves all the way into the mouth of the jetties where the seas finally abated. We had en-dured and survived and shown grace under pressure. Ernest Hemingway would have been proud of us. When he stopped laughing.

Stormy Weather Part I

July 3, 2014 15Vol. 6 • No. 7

July 3, 201416 Vol. 6 • No. 7

The second loss, the one in its own tournament, the one to the school’s personal athletics tormentor West Monroe, went virtually unreported in the lo-cal media back on March 14.

But, for a baseball team with national championship aspirations like the Barbe Buc-caneers, it blared like a head-

line in 100-point Times New Roman.

“Early, we dropped a couple games and we knew it prob-ably wasn’t going to be pos-sible for us to win it all,” Barbe pitcher Kennon Fontenot told Baseball America magazine. “(But) all of a sudden we hear that everyone else is losing

one, two games. Then, when that national title was back in our grasp, we took off with it. We knew we were not going to lose again. That was our goal, and we achieved it.”

Late last month, the Barbe Bucs were named the Na-tional High School Team of the Year by Baseball America

magazine and the National High School Baseball Coaches Association. The Bucs (39-2) took over the top spot in the poll on April 22 and never relinquished it, ending the season on a 28-game winning streak and a Class 5A state championship victory over No. 43 Live Oak.

National Champions

Henderson Implement & Marine is a family affair. And the company is

a prime example of one that has experi-enced both growth and diversification.

In 1967, Charles Henderson, Sr. purchased Taylor Implement, an International Harvester

Equipment dealership in Welsh. The company’s name was changed to Henderson Implement, and it eventu-ally grew to three locations in Lake Charles, Welsh, and Abbeville.

In 1976, Henderson’s son Chuck returned to the family business after earning a bachelor’s degree from LSU.  “In 1995, I became owner and CEO of Hender-son Implement,” Chuck said. But he didn’t stop there.

“In 1999, we diversified the company and established TK Pizza as a distributor for Hunt

Brother’s Pizza,” he said. TK Pizza now serves over 500 retail Hunt Brothers

Pizza locations from  Laredo, Texas to New Orleans, with Chuck serving

on the executive management

team of Hunt Brothers Pizza Corporation, which is located in Nashville.

There was still more to come. “In 2007, we changed its name to Henderson Implement & Marine when we became a Tracker Marine Dealer at all three of our locations,” Chuck said. “We now offer a full line of Tracker Marine products and Mercury Outboard Mo-tors and service.” In 2011, they became a Polaris dealer as well.

Henderson Implement & Marine offers a variety of product lines including Kubota & Kioti Tractors, Hustler Zero Turn mowers, Class Hay Equipment and Woods & Modern Agriculture Equipment.

Today, this company continues to grow—with the whole family involved! Chuck and his wife Karen’s two children are an integral part of the business. “Our daughter Kelly Hurt is Henderson Implement’s recruiter,” he said “And our son Tyler is a Pizza Terri-tory Consultant. He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife Kelly. And last but definitely not least, our son-in-law, Lance Hurt, is VP of TK Pizza!”

July 3, 2014 17Vol. 6 • No. 7

It is the area’s first national championship in a high school sport since the St. Louis Saints boys soccer team was crowned champs in 2006. It wasn’t, however, the first time many of the Bucs’ seniors had been in the national spotlight.

Back in 2008, South Lake Charles Little League was one inning away from winning the national championship and advancing to the world cham-pionship at the Little League World Series. The team fea-tured five of Barbe’s nine seniors including Fontenot, Gunner Leger, twins Beau and Bryce Jordan, and Nicholas Abshire. Also included on that team was the national high school football record-holder in receiving yards and LSU signee Trey Quinn.

Everyone knew this team was going to be special, though no one really knew how special. Besides, Barbe had had special teams before. This was a program that had won six state championships, produced four Major League Baseball players, two first-round draft picks, and 21 total draftees after all.

Well, almost no one knew outside of the team. Coach Glenn Cecchini knew and he set goals (state champion, na-tional champion) that he knew his team could reach.

“People can say, ‘Gosh dang, that’s over the top. That’s re-ally arrogant,’ ” Cecchini told Baseball America. “But we really believe in goal-setting. You got to make your goals visible where you can see them every day.”

The Bucs players knew and bought into the promise of a national title. And working overtime, double-time, practi-cally all the time, the Bucs be-gan to reel off victories while rarely facing much resistance. Barbe steamrolled through District 3-5A play, scoring 10 or more runs in half of its district games and scoring less than six runs only once, on

its way to the top seed in the Class 5A playoffs.

Even a new format for the largest classifi cation couldn’t knock Barbe off the champion-ship trail. Aft er an easy win over Grace King in the bi-dis-trict round, Barbe faced off with hated rival Sulphur in the fi rst of two, two-game rounds before the state semifi nals and fi nals.

The Bucs made quick work of both Sulphur and Catholic High of Baton Rouge, sweep-ing both two-game series be-fore shutting out St. Amant in the semifinals and knocking off Live Oak in the finals.

It was the culmination of an unprecedented season that saw the Bucs outscore its op-ponents 371-94. Barbe, which put added emphasis on field-ing this season, finished with a .974 fielding percentage that is practically perfect when you consider most high school baseball teams average at least one or two errors per game. The Bucs averaged almost 10 runs per game and, as a team, hit for a ridiculous .384 bat-ting average.

Additionally, of the Bucs’ nine seniors, six signed let-ters of intent to play Division I college baseball. Fontenot, who originally committed to play at Oklahoma State, signed with Louisiana-Lafayette alongside pitcher Gunner Leger. Pitcher Erin Baldwin signed with the University of Houston while Beau and Bryce Jordan both signed with LSU. Braeden Barrett signed with Northwestern State. It was the first time in the program’s history that six players signed D-I scholarships.

Amazingly, though, not a single one was drafted in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft in early June. I doubt this was a comment on the senior Bucs’ playing ability. More likely it was a signability issue where big league teams saw a group of players committed to play-ing college ball and not likely

to be tempted by anything but contracts offering life-chang-ing amounts of money.

That commitment should be the hallmark of this title-winning team. The players knew what they were capable of and dedicated themselves to making this year special. They worked hard, shrugged off a couple of early losses, and brought home the biggest prize in high school baseball.

And now the headline reads: National Champions.

Brandon Shoumaker is a graduate of McNeese State University and has covered sports for more than a dec-ade for various publications. Coaches or parents with story tips or comments may contact Brandon at bshoumaker@yahoo.com or send him a message on Twitter (@bshou-maker).

July 3, 201418 Vol. 6 • No. 7

By Calvin TylerThe Lake Charles scene is fun and exciting, even without the

upcoming industrial expansion. Our city breathes an emotion all its own. Nothing here is boring or contrived, like so many other larger cities I’ve visited. Other than the chain stores in town, everything else feels spontaneous and full of character. Running a business in this environment can be tough, and many small businesses have opened and closed in their first year. Having met and spoken to quite a few leaders in the business commu-nity, I find that many agree on a lot of the same points.

Going deep into my investigation of what it takes to create and run a successful venture in this city caused me to cross paths with a man who has an interesting story. His name is

Mike McVey, and his work history ranges all the way from refineries to car stereos. He currently operates three dif-ferent businesses and owns rental property. The man has chewed his way through brick walls and come out the other side smiling.

I am meeting with McVey at Mary’s Lounge on 4017 Broad St in Lake Charles, an establishment his father founded after retiring from the US Air Force. I arrive on time for the meeting and walk in to find that McVey is running a little late. This doesn’t bother me as it gives me time to meander around the bar a bit to look over what it has to offer.

This place is intriguing. Dimly lit in the way a cozy, hole-in-the-wall bar should be but much larger than any-one would expect from the kind of bar one would describe as a hole-in-the-wall. Large wraparound bar, televisions, a pool table, and flags hanging from the ceiling indicate that this a fun spot. After a few minutes McVey strolls in and introduces himself. “Hi Calvin, sorry for getting here late. I was running some crawfish,” he says with impres-sive energy.

McVey is a man of principles and focus, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. His wardrobe consists mostly of cargo shorts and baseball caps and he has a flare

for the casual. He explains his decision-making when it comes to the aesthetics of Mary’s Lounge.

“This place is a honky tonk,” he says. “I could have torn it down years ago and replaced it with a nice, brand-new metal building but then it wouldn’t be what it’s been since day one.”

The origins of this honky tonk are humble and close to McVey’s heart. His mother and father founded the place in 1975, and it was only a third the size it is today.

“We took down the long wall here in two pieces,” McVey points above, straight across the center of the bar. “On the far side, where the pool table is, we used a trac-tor to hold the ceiling up, tore down that wall, and put the beam in.”

What’s amazing is the bar never closed during this renovation. “People were coming in while we were tear-ing the wall down,” he said. “I decided to help the staff out with tips and started charging folks to use the sledge-hammer. Later on, after that section of wall came down, people were sitting around the tractor sipping on beers.”

Talk about loyalty! Mary’s is frequented by regulars who’ve been coming in for years. Happy hour is Mon-day through Friday from 5- 7 p.m. and there’s live music

July 3, 2014 19Vol. 6 • No. 7

every Sunday with no cover charge. It’s open every day, from 9 a.m. until. When it comes to business, McVey has been involved with quite a few. He owned and operated the original Pro Tech Audio and a successful ditch-digging company, along with multiple daiquiri shacks, and a bar. The advice he lends seems to come from lessons he learned as a child.

“When I was about 10 years old, I knew somebody who sold fireworks,” he recalls. “Back in those days, there weren’t big chain stores and giant tents where people could go and buy fireworks. There were just these little sheds in the country, and I was one of those. I told my dad what I was wanting to do, so, he and a friend built me a little building on wheels. My dad bought me $50 worth of fireworks and said, ‘get to work,’ and that got me start-ed. My first day I had sold $80 worth of merchandise, paid my dad $20 on the loan, and put the rest back into the business. By the time I was 17 I had employees!”

McVey is a laugher and loves to joke around. He seems to enjoy his life quite a bit. Looking at his phone, he shows me a picture of a wood-on-metal fence where it is apparent that someone attached 1” x 6” boards to the decorative metal fence to add privacy. I compliment his engineering.

“I’ve always done stuff like that,” he says. “No matter what it is, I will look at it and ask myself how it could be better.” He points to the little fluorescent lights under the bar. “Before I installed those lights, it was almost com-pletely dark. Bartenders were using flashlights to find what-ever they were needing, and that had to change. Anything can be improved. That’s just

common sense, really.”I ask how he’s kept it all to-

gether through the years and he says that the number one thing every business owner needs to understand is sacrifi ce.

“There were so many times in my life where I never got paid,” he says. “I would pay all of my employees, write myself a paycheck, look at it and think that the busi-ness might need this money, and slide my check into the desk. Too many people open up a business thinking the money will be great, and, don’t get me wrong, it can be. The problem is this: There is absolutely no security. Things could be going good for a couple of months, and then things suddenly stop. Did you save money or spend money during the good months? If you spent it, it’s gone and can’t save you. You’ve got to be willing to sacrifice.”

July 3, 201420 Vol. 6 • No. 7

July 3, 2014 21Vol. 6 • No. 7

July 3, 201422 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Entrepreneurs, innova-tors, and small businesses are key players in the economy of Louisiana. They make up most of the employer firms in the state, and their contribu-tion is indispensable.

The LSBDC at McNeese can assist you in your prepa-rations for opening your own business. Once a month, the

organization presents a semi-nar with valuable information to help you toward this goal. The “Starting and Financing a Small Business” seminar is presented at various locations in the Southwest Louisiana region and is a very good first stop in planning your busi-ness venture.

In addition to this seminar,

the LSBDC offers free one-on-one counseling in their offices on the McNeese campus and at other locations in Southwest Louisi-ana. Counselors can help you with tasks such as writing a business plan, guiding you in marketing or account-ing strategies, or direct-ing you toward local resources.

Two very important sources of financing for small businesses are commercial banks and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Many entrepreneurs don’t consider other funds available to them such as home-equity loans or savings.

The better prepared a business owner is for oper-

ating and managing a

business, the better their chance

of being a success and not part of the failure

statistic. The best strategy for avoiding termination of your business dream

is to plan BEFORE opening your doors. Have a good busi-ness plan in place as

your roadmap to the future of your busi-

ness. Have all licenses and certificates up-to-date and on record with the appropri-ate agencies. Be sure your business taxes and personal finances are separate and fully accountable.

To make an appointment, call (337) 475-5000 or email LSBDC.MSU@lsbdc.org

LA Small Business Development Center

July 3, 2014 23Vol. 6 • No. 7

What does the Small Business Administration off er to small busi-ness owners? Th e programs are many and varied, and the qualifi -cations for each are specifi c. SBA can help facilitate a loan for you with a third party lender, guaran-tee a bond, or help you fi nd ven-ture capital. Understanding how SBA works is the fi rst step towards receiving assistance.

SBA’s RoleSBA provides a number of

fi nancial assistance programs for small businesses that have been specifi cally designed to meet key fi nancing needs, including debt fi -nancing, surety bonds, and equity fi nancing.

Guaranteed Loan Programs (Debt Financing)

SBA does not make direct loans to small businesses. Rather, SBA sets the guidelines for loans, which are then made by its partners (lenders, community development organizations, and microlending institutions). Th e SBA guarantees that these loans will be repaid, thus eliminating some of the risk to the lending partners. So when a business applies for an SBA loan, it is actually applying for a com-mercial loan, structured accord-ing to SBA requirements with an SBA guaranty. SBA-guaranteed loans may not be made to a small business if the borrower has access to other fi nancing on reasonable terms.

SBA loan guaranty require-ments and practices can change as the Government alters its fi scal policy and priorities to meet cur-rent economic conditions. Th ere-

fore, you can’t rely on past policy when seeking assistance in today’s market.

Bonding Program (Surety Bonds)

SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee (SBG) Program helps small busi-ness contractors who cannot ob-tain surety bonds through regular commercial channels.

A surety bond is a three-party instrument between a surety (someone who agrees to be re-sponsible for the debt or obliga-tion of another), a contractor and a project owner. Th e agreement binds the contractor to comply with the terms and conditions of a contract. If the contractor is unable to successfully perform the contract, the surety assumes the contractor’s responsibilities and ensures that the project is com-pleted.

Th rough the SBG Program, the SBA makes an agreement with a surety guaranteeing that SBA will assume a percentage of loss in the event the contractor should breach the terms of the contract. Th e SBA’s guarantee gives sureties an incentive to provide bonding for eligible contractors, thereby strengthening a contractor’s ability to obtain bonding and greater ac-cess to contracting opportunities for small businesses.

SBA can guarantee bonds for contracts up to $5 million, cover-ing bid, performance and payment bonds, and in some cases up to $10 million for certain contracts.

Venture Capital ProgramSBA’s Small Business Invest-

ment Company (SBIC) Program

is a public-private investment partnership created to help fill the gap between the availability of growth capital and the needs of small businesses. The SBA does not invest directly in small businesses, relying instead on the expertise of qualified private in-vestment funds. The SBA licenses these funds as SBICs and supple-ments the capital they raise from private investors with access to low-cost, government-guaranteed

debt.With these two sources of capi-

tal backing them, SBICs search across the United States for prom-ising businesses in need of debt or equity financing. SBICs are similar to other investment funds in terms of how they operate and their pursuit of high returns. However, unlike other funds, SBICs limit their investments to qualified small business concerns as defined by SBA regulations.

What SBA Offers to Help Small Businesses Grow

July 3, 201424 Vol. 6 • No. 7

AFFORDABLE CARE ACTEmployee Health Coverage

Choices for Small Business Owners

2 FREE SESSIONS

SESSION 1Tuesday, August 125– 8 p.m.SEED Center, Rooms D & E4310 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605

Jacob Schei, Certified Re-gion 5 Navigator for SWLA Area Health Education Center, will present an over-view of the Federal SHOP Marketplace for Small Busi-

ness Owners. Small Business Owners will learn how to access health insurance for their employees.

SESSION 2Wednesday, August 27,8 a.m. – 6 p.m.SEED Center, Rooms B & CSmall group counseling

sessions will be scheduled so you can learn more about specific SHOP Marketplace enrollment choices for your small business.

Seating is limited. Please pre-register on-line at lsbdc.org (search under events) or call 337-475-5529 or email: lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org.

Small Business Health Options Program Workshop

Are you interested in starting your own business but don’t know where to begin? If so, a free seminar titled “Starting and Financing a Small Business” will be presented from 3-5 p.m. July 15 at the First Street School (401 W. 1st St.) in De-Ridder.

Th e seminar will be presented by the Louisiana Small Busi-ness Development Center at McNeese State University. It will off er information on fi nancing a start-up, learning how to write a business plan and understanding what a banker really wants to know. To pre-register or for more information, call (337) 475-5529 or email lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org.

Small Business Seminar in DeRidder July 15

Registration is now open for the youth recreational soccer programs offered by Calcasieu Soccer Club (CSC). The youth program is available for ages four to 17 years old. Registration is also open for the Screamin’ Eagles program, a league de-voted to introducing the littlest soccer enthusiast to the sport. To be eligible, the child must be three at the time of registration. Registration is open through Saturday, July 26. The fall season will run September 6 through October 18.

CSC is the area’s largest youth soccer club with more than 750 area children playing rec-reational and competitive level soccer. They also coordinate an adult co-ed recreational league and a men’s 7v7 league with ap-proximately 250 registrants. To register, visit www.cscsoccerclub.org. For more information, call (337) 474-6131.

Registration Open for Youth Recreation

Soccer Programs

July 3, 2014 25Vol. 6 • No. 7

July 3, 201426 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Being native to the area, I’ve been ex-posed to tons of outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. Louisiana is known as “Sportsman’s Para-dise,” and it earned its title honest. With the state having no lack of rivers and bayous and an abundance of wildlife, what more could a wild man/woman ask for? Well, that’s not really a question a sane person would ask because that would imply that the word “paradise” wasn’t fitting enough as a definition. But every once in a while, someone comes along and challenges the status quo. Sometimes, it takes a visionary maniac to see new possibilities where the average person sees perfection that can-not possibly be improved upon. This is the story of one such visionary.

Driving north up HWY 171, the views are incredible. If you’re from the area, you probably don’t even notice it, but imagine seeing this landscape through the eyes of someone visiting here for the first time. The green from the trees is deep in color, giv-ing the environment a feel of timelessness. As though everything has stopped. Even though there’s a Wal-Mart off this high-way—a business that usually takes over the aesthetic of its surroundings--it’s no match for the natural beauty of this area.

A little further up the road, I turn right onto Louisiana 3059, and drive deeper into the mystery of Cajun ambience. The smell of the river and moss is noticeable now, delightfully carrying me back to the times in my childhood spent getting lost up and down these inspiring waterways. It’s not long into this drive down memory lane that I notice a sign like no other, alerting me to the fact that I have arrived at my desired

location. The sign reads: “Loggerheads.” I turn into the trees, not sure what to expect.

The first thing I notice is a large, well-de-signed, parking lot. Off to the right are two quaint cabins: one blue, one yellow, both bright and fun. At the far side of the lot are a collection of rather large, but quite beauti-ful brick buildings sitting on the riverfront. It’s too early in the morning for visitors, so I park my car close to a bricked archway with a sign that reads Riverside Resort and set off to find the person responsible for what I see before me. I walk into the larger build-ing to discover one of the most stunning bars I’ve ever seen in my life.

There are stacked stone columns at the ends of the massive granite bar top at Log-gerheads, seemingly to support the ceiling but also as an aesthetic choice to break the openness and convey a sense of inti-macy. Earth-tone bricks and lightly stained beadboard level the contrast a bit, bringing the style back to Southern comforts and traditions. Every inch of this area, which includes bar tables and chairs and plenty of TV screens, is brilliant.

When you step through the doors at the rear of the bar onto the large covered porch, the vision of this space comes to fruition. There are tremendous views of the river running by and forking around a large island. Tied off to the dock is a triple-deck, 105-foot-long yacht with the call sign “Lady of the Lake.” The calming breeze blows in, reminding me why porchtime storytime is so popular in Louisiana. I lean against the rail for a moment, taking it all in. “Who did all of this?” I ask myself. It’s time to find out.

The Bait Shop is down a small hallway,

and it is here that I find Jim Mistretta, sit-ting casually in the office scrolling through pictures of his property. “Hi,” Jim says abruptly. I assure him that I am supposed to be here, and he laughs. “What would you like to know?” he asks. “Everything,” is my answer.

He gets up and signals me to follow him. I happily oblige as he takes me back over to that great bar. “I wanted it to smell nice in here, so I made the porch large enough for the smokers to have a place to go,” he says. “Keeps things nice.” Loggerheads Bar has been open since February of 2013 and is the perfect place to unwind at night or on the weekend. The bar opens at noon, and there’s entertainment Friday through Sunday evenings and also on Tuesday. It’s closed on Mondays. (Check them out on Facebook.)

I ask about the style choices and who designed everything. “Me,” Jim says. “I drew it all up.” He’s a developer, but he is not a trained designer. It all comes naturally to him. “Calvin, I can look at something and see what it can be. A piece of land, a building, anything, really. Some people can understand music. That’s not my gift.”

Jim has a way about him. For our meet-ing, he’s wearing Levi blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and baseball cap. He’s relaxed and in charge. We go outside and face the water, and he points slightly to the left. “The sun sets right there, just over that tree line. It’s one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, and I live five minutes from here.” Then, there’s that magnificent yacht. “Lady of the Lake right there?” he says. “She’s not staying there. I’m building her a slip down the cove a bit where she can be

July 3, 2014 27Vol. 6 • No. 7

out of the way.”When then walk over to a

brick Tiki bar. This smaller bar is close to the water and away from the larger crowd. “It’s just little something extra for the guests,” Jim says with a proud smile.

But there is so much more to come. Next to the Tiki bar is an open patch of riverfront land where over 80 pilings have been planted to make way for something massive. This is the location of what will become the Riverside Bar & Grill. A nice restaurant will take up most of the first floor, and there will be a large space upstairs for events. Jim points to the blueprint. “The event center upstairs will be per-fect for high school reunions or wedding receptions,” he says. He drags his finger across the page to a point outside, on the second floor deck. “This will be a sepa-rate bar for the guests upstairs if they need it.”

Jim really does see things in a different way, where nothing is left out. It’s almost as if he’s walked through this building that doesn’t even exist yet. We make our way across the beau-tiful property and Jim points out every little flowerbed and tells me the story behind each of them. The place is lush with palms, hibiscus and other semi-tropical plants.

Then there are the cabins. As of right now, there are only two, but eventually, there will be 75. “All of them are 900 square feet of living space and can be rented for a night or even a whole month,” he says. “This piece of property will have a little bit of

everything: restaurants, bars, fishing, boating, a store, a spa and pool…” I cut Jim off. “A spa? Restaurants? Plural?” He pulls his head back with a chuckle and says, “Oh yeah, Calvin. This place is going to be like a little city when I’m done. People will be able to stay here and enjoy their vacations without ever hav-ing to leave the property.”

In addition, Jim intends to cre-ate an RV park along the south-east side of the property. “Nice and private,” he says. “From small spaces to large drive-thru spaces, the RV park will be able to handle any size RV you’ve got with ease.”

Riverside Resort is an ambi-tious project, filling 50 acres of riverfront with cabin rentals, res-taurants, an RV park, swimming pool, docks, boats, fuel pumps, a convenience store, oyster bar, and more, but Jim takes it all in stride.

“Everybody wants a date. ‘When will it be done, Jim?’ they ask. I’m taking my time. Little by little this place will come to-gether, and when it does I expect every function of Riverside Re-sort to operate smoothly.”

So far, all that is built and open for business is elegant and charming. Much like its sur-rounding scenery, Loggerheads Bar, the bait and tackle shop, the Tiki bar, and the dock and fueling station are just right. From my morning spent with Jim, it’s obvious that he is doing what he enjoys the most: Looking at something, seeing it for what it can be, and recreating that image into something real.

Cabins Loggerheads

View of the river

Dockside

Jim with his assistant Lori

July 3, 201428 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Lady of the LakeTh e beautiful Lady of the Lake is available for cruises. Th e three-deck yacht ac-

commodates up to 150 people and off ers the perfect venue for corporate functions and special events such as holiday parties. River/dinner cruises are off ered once a month (call for information), but the current focus is on the corporate, special event, and association market. For pricing, go to www.lakecharlesdinnercruises.com. Please direct inquires to info@lakecharlesdinnercruises.com or call (337) 491-6794, and like them on Facebook (Lady Of Th e Lake, Lake Charles Dinner Cruises, LLC).

July 3, 201430 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Party By the Pool July 3, 10, 17It’s time to Party By the Pool at L’Auberge Casino Resort!

Don’t miss Kenny Wayne Shepherd on July 3, the fabulous Flamethrowers on July 10, and Chubby Carrier on the 17th! Purchase your tickets at www.ticketmaster.com, the L’Auberge Business Center, or Legends at L’Auberge the night of the show. Must be 21 to attend.

Red, White Blue & You July 4Happy 4th of July! At 6 p.m., the parade will roll from Mill

Street heading south on Ryan Street toward Lock Park/7th Street. Line the streets for beads and candy. Following the parade is a patriotic musical program beginning at 7:15 p.m. in front of the Civic Center along with face painting, balloon clowns and food vendors. Bring your blankets or lawn chairs. If inclement weather prevails, the program will be moved into the Civic Center Coliseum. The fi reworks extravaganza will begin at 9:15 p.m. Tune into Fun Radio 92.9 FM or Gator 99 for the soundtrack simulcast. Call 491-9147 for more information.

McNeese Trivia Night July 10Get ready for a Trivia Night fi lled with both McNeese history

and local trivia at 6 p.m. July 10 at the Cash & Carry at 801

Enterprise Blvd. in Lake Charles. This McNeese 75th anniver-sary event will pit teams against each other in a “Thinkfast” game show format with multiple choice and speed rounds for cash and prizes. There will also be a dinner buffet and cash bar. Tickets are $30 per person. A table of eight is available for $250 that includes reserved seating and wine. Tickets are on sale now at http://75th.mcneese.edu

Pops Goes to the Movies! July 12Lights! Camera! Action! The Lake Charles Symphony goes

to the movies (with videos projected above the orchestra) with Hollywood favorites including Gone with the Wind, Rocky, Forrest Gump, Titanic and Pirates of the Caribbean. Guest conductor Carl Topilow combines his experience as a conduc-tor, skills as a clarinetist, and outgoing personality to present an innovative concert for the whole family on Sat., July 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Rosa Hart Theater. Visit www.lcsymphony.org for ticket info.

Navajo Weaving Exhibit Through July 12Discover works of art created by Navajo weavers and how

styles were infl uenced by tradition and trade at the Stark Mu-seum of Art in Orange, Texas. Open Tues.- Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thursday, July 3: Lowe’s Workshop for KidsLowe’s employees will help children build a

wooden project they can keep! Class begins at 11 a.m. and is limited to 25 children.

Friday, July 4: CLOSED for Independence Day

Saturday, July 5: CyPhaKids Get AnimatedAt 11 a.m., children will learn about Walt Disney and do some fun crafts involving Disney’s Fro-zen! The program is limited to 20 children ages

4-10. However, if more than 20 children are expected, there will be a second event at noon!

Monday, July 7: Giant GuitarsMake a cool giant guitar! Class begins at 2:30 p.m. and is limited to 20 children.

Tuesday, July 8: Tropical FishPaint a pretty tropical fi sh. Classes begin at 11 a.m. and noon and are limited to 20 children.

Wednesday, July 9: PopsiclesEnjoy a cool refreshing Popsicle from

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Thursday, July 10: “Teach Me! ABC”At 11 a.m., local children’s book writer/illustra-tor Peggy A. Borel will read her book, Teach Me! ABC Afterwards, she will have a book signing.

Friday, July 11: Experiment with PaintJust come to the ArtSpace between

10:30 a.m.-noon and experiment with paint!

Saturday, July 12: Sasol’s Second Saturday Science Show

“What can you do with pressure?” Sasol’s Mary Idlett will perform experiments designed to show the cool things that can be done with pressure. Examples include: infl ating a balloon with lemon

juice and baking soda, the balloon blow-up challenge and the hanging water experiment.

The show begins at 11:30 a.m.

Monday, July 14: Choose a Project Workshop

Choose to decorate either a plane or a jewelry

box. Class begins at 2:30 p.m. and is limited to 25 children.

Tuesday, July 15: Choose a Project Workshop

Paint your own aboriginal boomerang or a Chinese fan. Classes begin at 11 a.m. and noon and are limited to 20 children 4 years and up.

Wednesday, July 16: PopsiclesEnjoy a cool refreshing Popsicle from

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Thursday, July 17: MAD HATTER ScienceMAD HATTER, Joan Vallee Rettke will present

“Exploring Science at the Beach!” Children will learn about wave motion and why we should

wear sunglasses. Children will make a “wave in a bottle”. The program begins at 11 a.m. and is

limited to 20 children 4 and up.

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad Street downtown Lake Charles. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7.50 for children and adults. Call 337-433-9420

or visit www.swlakids.org for more information.

July 3, 2014 31Vol. 6 • No. 7

Located at 712 Green Avenue, Orange. Go to www.starkmu-seum.org for more information.

Weddings With Style Bridal Show July 13Planning a wedding? Then head to the Calcasieu Marine Bank

Building on July 13 at 1 p.m. for the Weddings With Style Bridal Show. Meet photographers, wedding cake designers, cater-ers, musicians, wedding consultants, hair and makeup artists, and other creative wedding professionals. Admission is $5. Call 652-4101 or 310-0405.

Cajun Music & Food Festival July 18-20Burton Coliseum will be jumping with lively Cajun sounds

July 18-20 for the 27th Annual Cajun Music and Food Festival, presented by the LC Chapter of the Cajun French Music Asso-ciation. Enjoy continuous Cajun music, dancing, arts and crafts, food, sweet shop, ice cream, live auction, silent auction, raffl es, and cake walks ending with free admission to a Cajun Mass on Sunday morning to end the festival. For more information, call 274-2482.

NAMI Family Fun Day July 19National Alliance on Mental Illness of Southwest Louisiana is

excited to announce the First Annual Family Fun Day to be held on July 19 from 4-7 p.m. at the Pinederosa Park in Westlake. This family-friendly event will feature entertainment, great food, prizes, and lots of family fun. Admission is free and open to the public. For additional information visit www.namiswla.com; to RSVP call (337) 433-0219.

Gridiron July 19Gridiron, the annual night of skits, songs and laughter, is the

show that the American Press called “the ‘Saturday Night Live’ of Southwest Louisiana.” The fundraiser pokes fun at lo-

cal and state newsmakers and the media through skits, songs, monologues and videos. It will be held at the Lake Charles Civic Center on Sat., July 19. For tickets or to inquire about corporate sponsorships, call the Gridiron voicemail hotline at 583-4766 or email gridironshow@yahoo.com.

Whitetails Unlimited Banquet August 9Southwest Louisiana Chapter of Whitetails Unlimited will hold

their annual banquet on Sat. Aug. 9 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Games/ Raffl es & Social Hour – 4:30 p.m. Dinner – 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $40 single, $25 spouse, $15 child (15 & under). Contact Misty Kelly for more information @ (337) 263.8682 or mistykelly@bellsouth.net.

Shangri La Botanical Gardens Wednesdays through August 13

Make your summer a little more “wild” and attend a family program that explores a variety of interesting topics about nature, the environment,

science and the world around us. Included with general admission. Members free. Runs from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

July 9: Habitat SafariTravel through swamps, forests and meadows to explore

the different habitats of Shangri La critters

July 16: Ants, Bees and Crawfi shFind out where animals go at the end of the day!

July 23: Guerilla GardeningMake a seed ball to take home and see how native plants

work in your garden

July 30: Wonders of WetlandsA family program to discover how wetlands help people and wildlife.

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center2111 West Park Avenue, Orange, TX 77630www.shangrilagardens.org (409) 670-9113

July 3, 201432 Vol. 6 • No. 7

A few years back, How to Train Your Dragon was a runaway hit with kids. This year, the sequel arrives, and prom-ises to take children’s movies to a new level with its action and drama.

Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the young dragon trainer from the first movie, has aged five years. The dragon-fighting Vikings in his village have become dragon-loving Vikings, flying them for sport, for transportation, and because it’s just cool to fly dragons.

Berk, the village where Hiccup lives, is full of characters, I mean, they’re all Vikings, with hair braids and every-thing. I guess Vikings are known for their mechanical savvy, because these folks have more machinery and gadg-ets around than Fred Flintstone, all of them geared toward raising, training, and grooming dragons.

Hiccup has a sweetheart now, Astrid, and he’s having issues with his Dad who wants him to take over his role as the village chief. Other than that, life is pretty good, and Hiccup flies his per-sonal best friend dragon Toothless all over the countryside, looking for other lands. During one such flight, he comes across dragon trappers and hears about the movie’s villain, a guy called Drago who is trying to capture and own all the dragons in the world.

Ok, time out. The dragons are really the whole ap-

peal of this movie. They’re cute, ador-able, and potentially deadly. Children have always been fascinated by drag-ons, but these creatures actually remind me of loveable dogs, totally devoted to

their owners and ready to protect them. And that’s really all you need to know, because your kids are going to love this movie.

Hiccup and his friends try to uncover evil Drago to change his dragon-hating ways. The leader of Berk is Hiccup’s father, Stoick and he simply wants to

find Drago and take him out. So really, the plot of this sweet animated movie revolves around a world at peace versus a world embroiled in fighting and war. And as Vikings, war is the people of Berk know how to do. Hiccup, the ne-gotiator and peacemaker, gets himself and his friends in pretty hot water as he tries to reason with Drago.

This heavy theme is considerably lightened by Hiccup’s friends and a mob of cute baby dragons. Tuffnut and Ruffnut are fraternal twins, and Ruff-nut falls for a hunk of a dragon-train-er named Eret. Her comic overtures are straight out of an old Warner Brother’s cartoon. (Flex those mus-cles again, Eret!)

As we’ve come to expect, Dream-works’ animation is stunning, with flying scenes that take up where Avatar leaves off, and clueless cartoon sheep that were fea-

tured in the first movie. Oh, and did I mention cute dragons?

From what I gather, this film is the middle movie of a trilogy. How did they ever come up with the idea of a trilogy? That’s so original. Anyway, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is easily the most popular kids’ movie I’ve seen in theaters. Children sitting near me were riveted on the dramatic plot and the dragons. They applauded spontane-ously during the movie and especially at the end. During the few slow scenes, they were asking their parents ques-tions about the movie, so parents, re-member to keep up. Contrast this with so many of these kids’ movies where Mom and Dad have to constantly bring the tykes down to get popcorn or some other treat to keep them quiet. Not this time. The movie itself is the treat, so enjoy your kids enjoying it.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is rated PG for intense dragon action.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox, 2014)

July 3, 2014 33Vol. 6 • No. 7

Automobile

Axle

Car

Classic

Dashboard

Engine

Gasoline

Mechanic

Oil Change

Steering Wheel

Tires

Transmission

Trunk

Vehicle

Windshield

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

. .

.

Players take turns connecting two dots. When you make a square, put your initials in the box and take another turn. When all dots are connected,

the player with the most boxes wins.

July 3, 201434 Vol. 6 • No. 7

At least once in a while, many of us complain that our families are dysfunctional. But your family has nothing on these people. I thoroughly recommend all three of these books.

In North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Fam-ily, and How I Survived Both, Cea Sunrise Person relates the remarkable circumstances of her youth.

In 1971, only 18 months

after baby Cea was born, her grandparents decided they needed to get away from soci-ety and moved the whole fam-ily to the Canadian wilderness of Northern Alberta, where Cea’s grandfather convinced the chief of the local Stoney Indian tribe to let his family live on their land.

They stayed in a teepee: “We were five adults and a toddler living in a twenty-foot circle, so to say quarters were cramped was an understate-

ment,” writes Person. But in the beginning, they had little idea how to survive. “The work involved was much more grueling than even they had expected. Our diet consisted mostly of wild game, so my grandfather spent hours each day hunting bear, moose and grouse. ... Every day there was water to haul, laundry to wash in the river, wild berries, mushrooms, onions, and edible flow-ers to pick, and endless amounts of wood to collect and chop for the upcoming winter.”

And in the winter, “We slept beneath lay-

Normal Families (or Not)ers of bear-skins with heated rocks in our beds, but even then, we woke up with icy ears and snot fro-zen to the tips of our noses.”

Marijuana played a major role in the “hippie” family dynamics, writes the author, as did inappropriate adult behavior in front of a child. After they moved into an ac-tual house and a kindergarten friend of Cea’s popped in to say hello, “I wasn’t sure what was worse: the fact that Mom was standing before us with a joint in her hand, or the fact that she was doing it topless.”

At least, Cea realized the adults’ behavior was wrong, and she later found a unique way to escape to a life of her own.

Julie Gregory’s autobiog-raphy is titled Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood. Mun-chausen by Proxy is a form of child abuse, “the falsifica-tion or induction of physical and/or emotional illness by

a caretaker of a dependent person. In most cases, the perpetrator is a mother and the victim is her own child.” The goal is to “gain sympathy, nurturance, and control over others.”

“My first memories of medical mayhem,” Gregory writes, began when she was three. Her grandmother would give her “Cracker Jacks that taste funny, or some strange warped candy melded to its wrapper.” Her mother would offer her “suckers”: “Mom pulls out a new book of matches and carefully bends back the cover to expose two fresh red rows of the minipops she’s been giving me for as long as I can remember. My mouth waters when I see their shim-mery crimson tips. The first

July 3, 2014 35Vol. 6 • No. 7

one is always the best, and I pluck it out and get it fast on my tongue, waiting for the metallic zolt to rush my taste buds.”

Her mother would give her inappropriate medication, invent symptoms for her, and drag her to doctors again and again. “She reads late into the night, long after we’ve all gone to sleep, keeping an eye out for our symptoms so she can suggest the right tests and meds to the doctor.”

When one doctor pre-scribed a special diet for little Julie, her mother went out and bought every single thing on the forbid-den list. “I never stop feeling sick and I never get better,” she writes.

Her parents moved little Julie and her brother to a trailer in “a backwoods patch” where no one would bother them. They took in elderly veterans and foster children, for the mon-ey, “and sooner or later, each of those foster kids seemed to develop a medical mystery of their own.”

When the adult Gregory learned about MBP, all the mysteries of her past clicked into place. She now wants to spread the word about its dangers: “Doctors are the un-witting accomplices in MBP, conditioned to have blind faith in what they are told by patients and families.”

Normal Family by Don Trowden is a novel that reads like a memoir. But this one --

because it’s fiction -- is funny, and made me laugh out loud.

“All I ever wanted was a normal family -- whatever that might be -- free from the constant insanity and fight-ing, to be raised in a support-ive environment along the lines of what I saw in other respectable homes,” young Henry, our protagonist, tells us. “Why was my family so bizarre? Had I been secretly adopted? Was I being pun-ished for the sins of some previous life?”

Henry’s grandfather had a bomb shelter next to his New England home, “a subterranean hideout where he frequently slipped away for solitude and gin.” His mother suf-fered from de-pression, but each person in the family had quirks. “My mother, brother and grandfather were similar in one sig-

nificant way -- each had little use for other people. Each had an investigative mind, the scientist’s mind. Input from others was always wrong; no one could possibly do anything as well as they could.”

The book has tender mo-ments surrounded by hilarity, along with some wonder-ful one-liners: “Albert (his brother) had drolly remarked our mother was someone who preferred to burn her bridges before she got on them”; “Grandpa swerved up the lawn looking like Frank-enstein in search of unsus-pecting villagers.”

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Louise Ruehr.

July 3, 201436 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Thursday, July 3Live Piano6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Live Music6 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Bernie Allen7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Kenny Wayne Shepherd7 p.m. @ Party by the Pool’s Liquid SocietyL’Auberge Casino Resort Pool777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Karaoke Night9 p.m. - 2 p.m. @ Crystals112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Stratton Doyle & Mike Dolan10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

DJ Crush11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Thursday Dollar Night@ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar all nightFree cover ‘til 10 p.m. w/College ID5329 Common St., Lake Charles Friday, July 4Fireworks Cruise with Kadillacs7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’sCall for price3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Live Music7 p.m. @ Stellar Beans Coffee319 Broad St, Lake Charles

Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Bag of Donuts8 p.m. - Midnight @ Caribbean CoveIsle of Capri Casino100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., Lake Charles

Flashback Friday9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

BB & Company9 p.m. @ The Gator LoungeDelta Downs2717 Delta Downs Dr, Vinton

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Live Music9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Linda’s Lounge4338 Lake St., Lake Charles

Marvelous Wonderfuls & Large Marge9:30 p.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

John Guidroz & Kevin Lambert10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Isis10:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

DJ Crush11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Saturday, July 5Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar

777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Live Music7 p.m. @ Stellar Beans Coffee319 Broad St, Lake Charles

Lucy In Disguise7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Ashes of Babylon10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Live Music7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Karaoke with DJ8 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., Lake Charles

DJ Night9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Joe Harmon & The Harmonics9 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Saturday Night Party Time9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar until MidnightFree Cowboys Kool-aid5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Ryan Bunch9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

July 3, 2014 37Vol. 6 • No. 7

Rebel Cruiser9:30 p.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

Bill & Kev’s Excellent Adventure10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Isis10:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

DJ Crush11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Sunday, July 6Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Andrea Marie & The Magnolia Band6 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Music10:30 p.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Monday, July 7Live Music7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Tuesday, July 8Legends in Concert5 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Live Music6:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Karaoke Night7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Kevin Lambert8 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

DJ Verrett & Karaoke8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Movie Night9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Wednesday, July 9Legends in Concert7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Kris Harper8 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Mic Night8 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Kory Fontenot8 p.m. - 11 p.m. @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Karaoke Night9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Karaoke Night9 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Music9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Tab Benoit10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Thursday, July 10John Autin6 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Live Piano6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

July 3, 201438 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Legends in Concert7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

The Flamethrowers7 p.m. @ Party by the Pool’s Liquid SocietyL’Auberge Casino Resort Pool777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake CharlesAdmission: $10

Shane Rodriguez& Hillbilly Trick Show8:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Karaoke Night9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Thursday Dollar Night@ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar all night

Free cover ‘til 10 p.m. w/College ID5329 Common St., Lake Charles

DJ Mata11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Friday, July 11John Autin6 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Legends in Concert7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Live Music7 p.m. @ Stellar Beans Coffee319 Broad St, Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Live Music7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Night Ranger8 p.m. @ The PavilionCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Live Music9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Linda’s Lounge4338 Lake St., Lake Charles

Flashback Friday9 p.m. – until @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., Lake Charles

Louisiana Express9 p.m. @ The Gator LoungeDelta Downs2717 Delta Downs Dr, Vinton

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Hold Fast Fables9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Dance Night9 p.m. - 4 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

John Guidroz & Kevin Lambert10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Oh Rhien10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Isis10:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

July 3, 2014 39Vol. 6 • No. 7

DJ Mata11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Dancing11:30 p.m. @ Crystals112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Saturday, July 12Legends in Concert5 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Temptations and The Four Tops7 p.m. @ The Delta Events CenterDelta Downs2717 Delta Downs Dr, Vinton

Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Chad Fisher Group7 p.m. @ The Delta Downs HotelDelta Downs2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Live Music7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Firehouse, Warrant, and Dokken8 p.m. @ The PavilionCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Live Music8:30 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Karaoke Party9 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Howard Sonnier9 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

DJ Night9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Brian Racca, Jr.9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., Lake Charles

Saturday Night Party Time9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar until MidnightFree Cowboys Kool-aid5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Special Event Night9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Chubby Carrier Band10pm @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Happy Fourth!Lake Charles! If you live here and con-

sider it to be your home, you have a con-nection and hopefully, some kind of love for this city. If you don’t, I must still have a lot of work to do. I’ve said many times that I no longer hear anyone say that there is nothing to do in Lake Charles. The disap-pearance of that statement alone shows just how much we have progressed lately.

One of the biggest events to place at this time is Red, White, Blue & You put on by the City of Lake Charles, which always draws a huge crowd. July 4 is on a Friday this year, which means attendance will be even better than usual. The parade begins at 6 p.m. At 7, the bluegrass band Market Blue will perform at the Amphitheatre before the start of the program, which includes the Lake Charles Community

Band with the Louisiana

Choral Foundation and Friends “Salute to

Armed Forces” at 8. Then, walk over to the seawall where the fireworks blast off over the lake at 9:15. This great evening of fun is completely free to the pub-

lic. You can’t beat that.There are so many more

events that are scheduled for the remainder of the summer and

at least one of them is sure to ap-peal to you. Visit The JAM online at

www.thejambalaynews.com if you need an overview. Over the years, I have devel-oped a greater appreciation for the work that goes into showcasing the arts commu-nity. We are very fortunate to have such a distinguished and eclectic arts scene with a large support system keeping it alive and growing.

Summertime also means outdoor fun. Being outdoors is great for you, although you should be smart about it, so stay hydrated and don’t over-exert yourself. If you’ve come up with some interesting out-door activities, please share them with The JAM on Facebook.

This leads me to my next observation, which was confirmed to me by a friend and his wife during a late-night dinner recently. He brought up the fact that we are used to creating our own fun here in the Lake Area. He was absolutely right. While there are many things to do, we ultimately have to get creative to keep things from getting

stale or repetitive. As you know, I love to share the new

and often exciting businesses or attractions that are coming. Lately, I have been hear-ing tons of rumors. A few, in my opinion, would change the landscape of some of our districts. However, I want to confirm them before I get your hopes up. You would be surprised to know how many businesses almost came to our area, but due to a detail or two, the entire plan was scrapped.

Music Artist ShowcaseWe have begun our MAS (Music Art-

ist Showcase) Summer Series and I would like to thank everyone who made the fi rst showcase such a success. We did not want to sit idle this summer and wanted to engage a group of people that normally are not able to showcase what they love to do. We even added a live audience. If you are interested in attending, e-mail laonairwithbrayj@gmail.com for more details and stay tuned to www.heybrayj.com and our online radio show, LA ON AIR with BRAY J to see the progression of the six-week series. It’s a brief introduction to the showcase we will present to Southwest Louisiana in September.

I believe that community matters greatly and I am honored to use what I’m passionate about and enjoy assisting oth-ers in getting a few steps closer to fulfill-ing their goals. It bothers me when people have all the potential in the world and stand in their own way. Fight that urge and allow those who genuinely want to sup-port you to help. I am almost positive you have nothing to lose by taking those steps of faith.

July 3, 201440 Vol. 6 • No. 7

Isis10:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

DJ Mata11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Sunday, July 13Live Music5 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Dancing11 p.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Monday, July 14Karaoke Night7 p.m. - 10 p.m. @ Caribbean CoveIsle of Capri Casino100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Tuesday, July 15Karaoke Night7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Karaoke Night8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Dancing9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

DJ Verrett11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Wednesday, July 16Karaoke Night7 p.m. - 10 p.m. @ Caribbean CoveIsle of Capri Casino100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Mic Night8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

William Christian9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Karaoke Night9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Karaoke Night9 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Music9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Sad Sam Blues Jam10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Thursday, July 17Chubby Carrier7 p.m. @ Party by the Pool’s Liquid SocietyL’Auberge Casino Resort Pool777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Karaoke Night9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Coming Soon...Thursday, July 24Neon TreesThursday, July 31Better Than EzraThursday, August 7Molly RingwaldsThursday, August 14Weezer7 p.m. @ Party by the Pool’s Liquid SocietyL’Auberge Casino Resort Pool777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

July 3, 2014 41Vol. 6 • No. 7

Kerry Buch, Amanda Hymel and Blair Lackey Laurie Clark and Brandy Hendricks

Amber Pauley, Mike Bennett and Kylie Wall

Courtney Fruge, Mallory Derouen and Gabby Boudreaux

Shalae Chachere, Ashleigh Wells, Chaynna Little, Catherine Dronet and Marylin Janicaek

BAYOU BOMBSHELL BIKINI CONTEST

3Topia Bar & Grill was the place to be for the Bayou Bombshell Bikini Contest. The ladies strutted their stuff before a crowd of energetic onlookers enjoy-

ing a great evening of fun and cocktails. Cash prizes were awarded to the winner and runners-up rocking their teeny-weeny bikinis! A fun time for everyone!

Susanne Granier, Michelle Granier and Jerry Besson

Kenny Bazer, Winston Broussard and Barry Trim

Liz and Calvin Clary, Jr. with Melba Clary Christ and Melda Clary Tridico Eric Leger and Joe Biundo

Sonny Brunson, Poochie East, David Papania, Carl Williams, and Floyd East

LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL BOXING HALL OF FAME

LHSBA Boxing presented the second annual Boxing Hall of Fame and Reunion at the Sunset Event Center in Sunset, Louisiana. The 2014 Hall of Fame inductees were presented and a showcase of uniforms, trophies, statistics, pictures and variety of memorabilia told the story of boxing in Louisiana from 1931-1958. Thumbs

up to a championship event!

July 3, 201442 Vol. 6 • No. 7

James and Gwen Babineaux with Fred and Joanette Jones

Kathryn Cardone and Allie McNeely Lindsey Myers, Jim Brown and Siri Fontenot

Chris Dougherty and Kate MooreMohammed Mohammed and Luca Brais

LIQUID SOCIETY PARTY BY THE POOL

Rain or shine, Party by the Pool at L’Auberge Casino Resort was on! The crowds came out

for an evening of indoor and outdoor fun, food, cocktails and entertainment by blues/jazzman Andy Frasco. It was the steamiest Party ever!

We’ll be there next week—will you?

July 3, 2014 43Vol. 6 • No. 7

James Fail, Joshua Suit, Dominique Fleitas and Kim Beierl Krysis and Buddy Jefferson

Emily Fults and Jessica BackesHeather Browning, Andrea Perez, Jessica Higgins,

Jennifer Soenksen and Destinee Richardson

BAYOUCONBayouCon is a three-day event that brings out all the sci-fi , gaming, comics, and anime enthusiasts

in the area, many in costume! Held at the Lake Charles Civic Center, there were plenty of photo

ops with featured media guests Cliff Simon, Noelle Hannibal and more, a dealers room,

BayouCon merchandise and a variety of vendors. It was an unforgettable, action-packed experience!

Steve, Monica and Kaitlyn Huddle