PoV (July 2015)

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JULY 2015 • VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 7

TABLE OFCONTENTS

JO ANN LEBOEUF

LOCAL VUE

20 LET’S RIDE The South Louisiana Jeep Association

26 CHATEAU CHIC Home tour

38 TIMEOUT The Legacy of the Red Paperclip

40 ARMED AND READY The Bayou Chapter of The Well Armed Woman

48 UNDER THE SCOPE Dawn of the Condiment Wars

50 OH SNAP PoV Celebrates 100 Issues

THE GOURMET GIRLS

52 WHO AM I? Courtesy of Premier OB-GYN

53 FITLIFE

66 TELL ME WHY Answers to life’s most perplexing questions

68 THE GOURMET GIRLS A 28-year-old tradition among friends

74 LABORS OF LOVE ... ... and Many Helping Hands

ABOUT THE COVERMelanie Charpentier, Crystal Crosby, CeCe Rome, Madonna Scurlock, and Pat Vizier prepare for another delightful evening together.

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10 PUBLISHER’S NOTE Thank you

11 THE VUEFINDER Taking Back the Weekend

12 THAT’S WHAT HE SAID YBNRML

POV PICKS24 Oyster Shell Chandelier32 Cajun Rocket Pot, Parking Pals, Aqua Cloud Minis46 Hanley’s Sensation Dressing

14 INTERVUE Say what?

16 THE OBSERVER 10 Years and Counting

18 THE FOODIE CONNECTION Challah!

OUR VUE YOUR VUE

80 LIVING WELL At Home Food Marketing

81 CHECK IT OUT “Jacksonland”

82 BEHIND THE BREW Four simple ingredients

83 A VUE FROM THE VINE Zinfandels ideal for summer

84 BON APPÉTIT VanillaBeanAffogat Topped with Crushed Pistachios

86 UNDERGROUND SOUND Lane Mack, Ryley Walker, Houndmouth

88 SMARTY PANTS For when your thinking cap fails

90 BON ÉTOFFE Preserving a Legacy

92 RENDEZVOUS Where you need to be around town

94 SCENE IN Look at ol’ so ’n’ so!

96 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX The who and the where

97 LOOK TWICE PUZZLE Sponsored by Synergy Bank

98 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN 7 reasons Mark Twain reigns as the Great American Novelist

EXPERT VUE REAR VUE

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JULY 2015 • VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 7

TABLE OFCONTENTS

POVHOUMA.COMView back issues, Web-only content and a full distribution list. SCAN HERE:

NEWSLETTERSReceive additional content and weekly events when you sign up. SCAN HERE:

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10 POINT OF VUE OUR VUE JULY 2015

One hundred. Dollars. Gallons of gas. Days to wait until Christ-mas. It’s a lot! After 100 issues of Point of Vue, it feels like for-

ever. When we dreamt up this project we just thought that maybe our community could use something like this. A little magazine every month to bring some joy to people’s faces, to highlight some of the great things that our neighbors do every day, to make sure that the stories that need to be told, were. We never imagined that PoV would grow into the award-winning publication it has, nor that you would grow to love it and search for it every month as you

Brian Rushing is the publisher of Point of Vue magazine. [email protected]

have. We also never imagined how much fun it would be. That’s all thanks to you, our readers, advertisers and supporters. This magazine is about you. You give us story ideas, tell us about cool stuff happening and keep pick-ing it up, month after month. Without you, Point of Vue wouldn’t exist. So here’s to you, Bayou Country, let’s keep being awesome. POV

BRIAN RUSHING

PUBLISHER’SNOTE

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Brian Rushing PUBLISHER

EDITORIALShell Armstrong EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CREATIVEGavin Stevens CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mariella Brochard GRAPHIC DESIGNERDanielle Evans GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PHOTOGRAPHYChanning Candies, Jose Delgado, Jacob Jennings, Jo Ann LeBoeuf, Misty Leigh McElroy, Erica Seely

WRITERSDwayne Andras, Lane Bates,

Logan Boudreaux, John Culhane, John DeSantis, Jaime Dishman, John Doucet, Melissa Duet, Esther Ellis, Dr. J. Michael Flynn,

Casey Gisclair, Debbie Melvin, Sara Patrick,Bonnie Rushing, Terry Trahan Jr.,

Becca Bourgeois Weingard

ADVERTISINGDeanneRatliffSALES MANAGER

JamieMazerac,MarthaNaquin,LindaPontiff

GENERAL MANAGER Lacey LeBlanc

CUSTOMER SERVICE Brooke Adams, Brandy O’Banion,

Ashley Thibodeaux

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE JessicaGifford

CONTACT [email protected]@rushing-media.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Point of Vue magazine is published monthly.

Subscriptions are available for $36 for 12 issues. For more information, email

[email protected]

Copyright ©2015 Rushing Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of editorial and/or graphic content is strictly prohibited. BUSINESS ADDRESS: 6160 West Park Ave., Houma, LA 70364 985.868.7515Point of Vue magazine cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material such as manuscripts or photographs, with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. The opinions expressed in Point of Vue magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rushing Media, our employees or any of our advertisers. No employee or family member(s) of employees of Rushing Media are permitted to partake in any contests, giveaways or sweepstakes.

Melissa is a writer for Rushing Media. The return of this column is for you, Dad. [email protected]

Just so that I wouldn’t forget its exis-tence, summer showed up sometime

around mid-June, smacking me square in the face. As I absentmindedly rotated sweaters to stave off cool winds, summe was preparing to make its appearance in style, complete with intense heat and humidity my hair was hoping would somehow just go away forever. This rude awakening reminded me that I am no longer a college student and two months of blissful free time are not so readily doled out. Even though it’s been two years since I graduated, my thoughts can’t help but still drift to sandy beaches and bluer skies as the heat rolls in. I blame my friends who’ve taken up school professionally and fill my social media feeds with dreamy getaway photos and summer reading lists. Ah, the good ol’ days. What sweet, sweet memories. Hasn’t someone figured out how to include a two-month work hiatus into the year, yet? In the midst of this daydreaming, I thought about my dad. Sometime between turning 60 and a job change, he declared that he was “taking back his weekends,” a thought that now lingers as I put on my big girl pants each morning and ignore the fact that my dog is begging me to stay home and play with him in the backyard. No, I might not have two empty months to

fill with cocktails served poolside and weeknight concerts, but I do still have my weekends. Those two glorious days are carefully planned a week in advance for optimal enjoyment. There’s trips to the local snowball stand after lunch, day trips to New Orleans and preparations for homemade ice cream on July 4. Though they seem simple in the grand scheme of things, it’s those simple things that have become so much more important as an adult. Learning to appreciate all those little things add up to just as much of a memory as the ones a week-long escape to the beach ever offered. POV

MELISSA DUET

THEVUEFINDER

Taking Back the Weekend

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12 POINT OF VUE OUR VUE JULY 2015

License plate riddles never get old. Some I can solve without taking a second glance ... others disappear into the slipstream

of the highway after giving away just enough to tease one’s curios-ity like an exotic dancer in the doorway of a Bourbon Street bar. Like all things, all you need is time to figure it out. I've been behind the wheel nearly 10 years and seen a lot of plates in that time, but one plate just won't escape my memory: YBNRML. As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it read, maybe because I share in living by the same philosophy. You see, the way I see it, "why be normal" when you can just be yourself? What is normal, anyway? During the average workday, I take my daily stroll to the men's room at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. Do all men do the same? I don't think so. It's usually just me in there at those times – unless I'm the only guy working in my hall, which I know I'm not. I do my best to send out emails only at times ending in “5” or “0,” for no other rea-son than I think the emails look more polished that way. I'm fairly certain that's not normal by mainstream society's standards, but surely someone else in this world does the same. I only like Kool-Aid if it's made with artesian water. Tap water changes the flavo substantially ... if you've never tried Kool-Aid with artesian water, your mind will be blown when you do. That said, I wouldn't expect any "normal" person to buy artesian water for the sole purpose of making delicious Kool-Aid. But, then again, why be normal?

When it comes to exploring one's abnormalities, I prefer to chalk up the strangest idiosyncrasies to worldview. I would be perfectly content packing my bags, driving to the airport and taking the first nonstop flight out, wherever the destination may be. Of course, my luck would have me traveling to the Alaskan wilderness after packing tropical, but that's the fun part about doing something completely random. The "normal" person may not find that to be so cool, even though there will be plenty of cool to find upon arrival. The same goes for concerts. I am willing to travel any distance to get to a live show. But just because I am willing doesn't mean I am always able – ask my pocket-book. I've always been a good speller, but the word "bud-get" gets me every time. I'm learning. "Normal" is such a subjective word. It has more defini-tions than modern-day TVs and more identities than Bruce "Caitlyn" Jenner, who incidentally probably wouldn't be described as "normal" these days, even by the "abnormals." Of course, from Jenner's newly adopted point of view, society's "normals" probably aren't very "normal." Who's to say? POV

Terry Trahan Jr. is a freelance writer from Houma and the publications coordinator at Nicholls State University.

“Maybe your weird is my normal – who’s to say?” –NICKI MINAJ

TERRY TRAHAN JR.

THAT’S WHATHE SAID

YBNRML

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14 POINT OF VUE YOUR VUE JULY 2015

The worst smell in the world:

What’s currently under your bed?

Congratulations! You just won

a yacht. What are you going

to name it?

INTERVUE

CHERYLFinancial Aid Counselor

ALParts Sales

AMELIAEsthetician

CONNERYouTube Personality

SYDNEYStudent/Writer

You can’t have a hot dog without:

If you could live in any time period,

which would it be?

Peanut butter and __________

What skill could get you into the

Guinness Book of World Records?

Chili and cheese Mustard Mustard Ketchup, mustardand sweet relish

A fresh bun ... sliced bread won’t cut it

Roaring ’20sA long time ago ... in a galaxy far, far away

... get it?

The present, here and now Good with this one

The ’70s or ’80s because I’d never have to straighten

my hair

Toasted bread Cheese crackers Jelly, of course Banana Chocolate chips(baked into cookies)

Most hours spent at Louisiana festivals

Juggling, but I’d have to work on it My waxing skills Eating the most pies

World’s best nap- taker? I can fall asleep almost

anywhere!

“Pleasure on the Sea” “Incommunicado”

Well since “Amelia Belle” is already taken, I’ll call it

“Waxin’ and Relaxin’”

“Shirly” “Seas the Day”

Nothing, maybe a little dust Dust Weights

I don’t know ... I kicked the Boogie Man out last week

More than a few dust bunnies

Chitterlings Forgottenfis in an ice chest

Rotten anything, especially seafood Rotten eggs Burnt popcorn

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Jaime Dishman is a mother who is learning to love better, live graciously, and give undeserved grace. Ten years in, she realizes she will never stop learning.

I’m 10 years into this thing. 10 years. An entire decade of being called a mother. When I first

found out about my impending motherhood the tears flowed hot and heavy. The tears felt like they burnt my skin as they traveled in a river of uncertainty down my young face. I wasn’t sure of it. Wasn’t sure that I would be a good mother. Wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t grow tired of the role. What happens five years in if you feel like you’re done? Ten years later, I’m sure I want to be a mom. But the tears still flow white-hot down an older, wiser and more wrinkled face. The thing I want to do the best sometimes feels like the hardest to do well. And I said it would never be like this. It was over cups. That’s why the tears flowed. I lost my mind over cups. Raged at all five of those precious faces over cups. Their eyes followed me as I ranted my exasperation over their cups. Because during the hot days of summer, if everyone uses a new cup every time they get ice water, we wash about 30 cups a day. Thirty cups. It’s too much, I said. And you know better, I said. And can’t you ever just think of how much work it is, I said. They stood silently, waiting for me to finish. I did. They ran out-side, and the tears ran hot down my face, rage replaced by remorse. I wanted to call them all back and instead of berating them over cups, cup each face in my hands and tell them of the fierce love that rages in me for all of them. Instead, they only felt the rage. “What would happen in a world where anger was your flag to reach out and cup a face?”writes author Ann Voskamp. What if? Part of me thinks, but then they would never know to reuse the same cup if we are home all day. But the truest part of me knows that loving patience is always more motivating than demeaning rage. Work had been hard the day of the cup incident. I came home already spent, tired and with my mind wheeling with a “to-do” list for work that had nothing to do with them. So when I saw their cups thrown into the sink, I came undone. But truthfully, I was

10 Years and Counting

done when I walked through the door. The day had taken from me more than I could ever give. Maybe there’s some momma who handles it all. Work, family, friends, marriage … is there someone whose list is always checked off, everyone feeling loved, every task completed? If there is, I don’t want to meet her. Because this momma raged hot tears early Christmas morning last year, as those same precious kids woke up and two displayed such ungratefulness that when they walked outside to try their new toys, I sank deep into the armchair and cried and wondered how we had gotten it all wrong. I’m not supposed to admit that either. I’m supposed to post a picture of us looking loving and perfectly matching on Christmas Day, but the picture burnt into my memory of last Christmas is the feeling of air being sucked out of my lungs as I considered their ungrateful hearts. I always thought they would be appreciative. But then I considered my own ungratefulness in the face of piles of blessings that I can’t even take credit for. But I work hard, I’ve thought. So do millions of people across this globe. And because of their country of birth, they work for pennies a day, scraping together to feed large families. I’ve never scraped together money for food, but I’ve whined more times than I care to admit about inconveniences that would seem like utter luxury to others. I’m an adult who displays ungratefulness on days that should feel like Christmas morning. So if we’re all learning here, why can’t I learn to love in the midst of the storm? In the moment of blinding hot anger, learn to be thankful, like I’m trying to teach them. And I can teach them of a forgiveness that they don’t deserve, just as I’ve been given a forgiveness that could have never been earned. POV

JAIME DISHMAN

THEOBSERVER

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There’s more than one way to eat your bacon. But you already knew that. A PB&J with bacon and jalapeño is one

of the best ways to eat your bacon. I believe, barring any self-imposed dietary restrictions, we’d all dance in the moonlight with bacon, and exchange one-sided love notes. I’ve met people who aren’t “into sweets,” and who aren’t “into chocolate.” There are even people out there who don’t like donuts? (And that’s about all I have to say about that). But you show me someone who actually does not LIKE bacon, and I’ll make a note to roll over in my grave in 200 years. Bacon even helped me get married. ‘Twas the vessel upon which sat a ring destined for my finger. A throne of ground beef, gilded with peanut butter and bacon, delicately fixed onto a pillowy bun. It came to me through a misty fog of fermented wheat and nicotine, beyond the flashing lights to financial glory, placed in front of me – the decision. To eat? Or not to eat? While he pops the question. Matt proposed in a bar – impeccably planned, perfectly senti-mental and refreshingly unceremonious. Thanks, bacon! Moving on. This sandwich begins where many a delicious sammie found its start … between two slices of Holla! Holler! Hola? Haller? Oh right, I’ll get it one of these days … challah. Our amazing friend introduced us to PB&B, J&J, or known by its creators as the “hot hood” at a food truck in Portland. She said, “Their sandwiches are like getting kicked in the mouth … from heaven!” She mailed us the sweetest package with Oregon-made black cherry jam and peanut butter, so we can re-create the “hot hood” on the other side of the country. Y’all – black cherry jam for this recipe. Get that. Roast your jalaps, and de-seed them if you don’t want all that heat. Thick-cut bacon also makes a big difference. Gosh it’s just so good. So easy. So make it already.

Acatfis outofbayouwater,BeccaWeingardshares adventures and recipes from her Cajun/ Italian kitchen in Washington, D.C., on her blog: PLAYWITHYOURFOODIES.COM

Challah!BECCA BOURGEOIS WEINGARD

THE FOODIECONNECTION

Seriously, stop by your local grocer, grab this stuff, and make this tonight. It’ll give you something to look forward to after surviving a Monday. I wish we could all eat these together around a reclaimed church-pew-wood picnic table, Zydeco music in the back-ground and the smell of freshly fried corn dogs in the air. POV

PB&J with Bacon and Jalapeño

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

2 inch thick slices of challah breadCreamy peanut butterBlack cherry jam2 slices cooked, thick-cut bacon1 roasted, seeded jalapeñoButter

Butter your bread slices. On the non-buttered side, peanut butter one slice, bacon it, cherry jam the other slice and jalapeño it. Butter your skillet or your pressing machine, whatever you’re using. I used my skillet and pressed it down with my teapot. Resourceful, maybe? Grill it over medium heat until golden brown on either side. Before serving yourself, pause for a moment. This will be one of those things you wish you could start over again after it’s gone. Savor that pre-bite moment. And enjoy.

HOW TO MAKE IT

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20 POINT OF VUE LOCAL VUE JULY 2015

ERICA SEELYESTHER ELLIS

The South Louisiana Jeep Association (SLJA) started with an idea and a couple of Jeep-loving friends. Since then, not much has changed. It’s been two years since Ricky Whipple and Kyle Jackson decided to start the club and the two agree that it has become much bigger than they’d imagined.

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Let’s Ride

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“Kyle Jackson had a Jeep and I had just acquired a Jeep,” Ricky says. “We were talking and said we ought to start a club and so we said, ‘Let’s have a meeting.’ We posted something on Facebook and got friends involved.” “I thought we were going to wind up with six to seven Jeeps,” says Kyle. “It is way bigger than I thought it would ever get.” Today, the association boasts well over 2,000 members with roughly 2,400 mem-bers in its Facebook group. Both Kyle and Ricky attribute their “no rules, no drama” attitude to the success of the South Louisiana Jeep Association, claiming it truly is a gathering of friends.

Over Christmas, the association partici-pated in Toys for Tots and collected more than $2,500 and 1,100 toys. This month, the club intends to host another drive celebrating “Christmas in July” to help those same families. SLJA’s charity isn’t limited to people; members have also participated in food drives for a local no-kill animal shelter, collecting more than 200 bags of food. When they aren’t busy serving the community, members like to park and talk, but they also like to ride and frequently participate in “runs” where Jeepers meet and drive routes together. “I think another reason we’ve grown so much is because many Jeep clubs are off-road and ours is on-road,” Ricky says. “When you go off-road, you’ve got to get the vehicle ready to get it taken there and the way we do it makes it more accessible.” The group just participated in an anniversary run, and Ricky hopes to have a week-long gathering and run next year for the third anniversary. The asso-ciation offers countless ways to serve the community, participate in runs, eat good food and hang out with friends. “I hope that we keep doing good and having fun,” Kyle says. “It’s a big fam-ily, it really is and we’re always there to do things for each other. Jeepers have a good attitude about life.” To learn more about the South Loui-siana Jeep Association, join its private Facebook page – all are welcome. POV

SLJA describes itself on Facebook as, “Just a fun group of Jeepers in the Terrebonne and Lafourche parish area. We like to hang out, sling some mud, ride for benefits and do Jeep runs to various locations.” There are no officers, no fees and no membership requirements. The club is open to all, even those who do not own a Jeep. “You make the friends you want to make,” Kyle says. “I’m not going to tell you what to do with your $40,000 vehicle. We also understand that it’s an oilfield town, so you probably can’t make it every Tuesday. We have people leaving other vehicle associations and getting Jeeps because they’re tired of the drama. With rules and officers, there’s always a power struggle and we don’t have that.” To put it simply, Ricky says it, “takes the ‘BS’ out of it.” The association meets at local restaurants on Tuesday evenings for “Topless Tuesdays.” Their biggest meeting typically takes place once a month at Hooter’s in Houma where you can find upward of 50 to 60 Jeepers parked and having a good time. “We’re coonasses and we’re Jeepers – that means we’re double friendly,” says Ricky. “Come see what we’re about. It’s contagious and I promise you’ll end up as a Jeeper.” Members are just as serious about charity as they are about having a good time. Nearly every weekend the SLJA is giving back to local organizations, showing up with an army of Jeeps. On Thanksgiving Day, the association fed 17 different families a large meal that included everything from the main dish to side items. “We always talked about fundraisers but we weren’t strong enough,” Kyle says. “When we got 20-30 Jeeps we said it’s time to start helping people out. Today we can get 80 Jeeps at the drop of a hat. We like to do a lot of stupid stuff, but we like to give back.”

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POV PICKS

Oyster Shell Chandelier

Nothing screams south Louisiana more than a sprinkling of oyster shells raining down from a home entryway.

This chandelier is the perfect conversation piece and could serve as an impressive statement in a foyer or dining area. The piece is available in-store and can be ordered. POV

OLD ESTATE ART GALLERY, THIBODAUX, 985.447.5413

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ERICA SEELY

BONNIE RUSHING

CHATEAUCHIC

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Transforming a traditional home into a customized space that reflects their transitional style and

casual lifestyle, Pernell and Tara Pellegrin combine traditional and contemporary decor to achieve just the right mix. Purchased in 2014, the 3,000-square-foot house has undergone extensive changes and has become home to the newlywed couple. Selecting a light color palette for the walls and floors throughout the home makes it feel spacious and bright. Simple yet sophisticated furniture anchors each room and splashes of color are brought in with unique art-work and accessories. New light fixtures for each room add ambiance and style.

A B

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When updating the kitchen, again the homeowners chose a light color palette to create a classic and timeless look. Clean lines and modern decor make this space shine. Complete with a Wolf double range and an extra wide Subzero refrigerator, the kitchen is as beautiful as it is functional. To customize the exterior, a light color was applied to the stucco and a new front door was installed. New landscaping was also added, completing the transformation. In the rear of the home a custom outdoor kitchen was added by the pool area, making it one of the couple’s favorite spaces to spend time and to entertain. Additionally, new landscaping and fencing completed the transformation. POV

C

D

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E

F Special thanks to:

• Custom Wreathes by Meagan/Grace Design Company• Doc Wright Flooring• Classic Cupboards Custom Kitchens• Robichaux’s Custom Cabinetry• Miracle Crete• Glider Painting• Blouin Fence• Bayou Granite• Chackbay Nursery• Valley Supply• Duet’s Electric• Dale Ledet Plumbing• Artwork by Denise Cuartas, Jennifer Oliver, S. Bynum Art and Helen Bolin

A KitchenB Accent WallC Master BedroomD ClosetE ExteriorF Pool

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POV PICKS

Lounge comfortably this summer in these cushioned floats perfect for even the smallest swimmers. The plush

loungers are filled with buoyant foam to contour to the body and don’t absorb water. Aqua Cloud Minis come in a variety of colors and assist in swimming or act as a simple relaxation device, making it a must-have for summer pool time.

A good old-fashioned backyard boil is the perfect way to spend an afternoon but the time it takes to cook the

food makes it a tedious process. The bottom of this pot has hundreds of metal dowels, allowing heat to be absorbed into the pot much faster than a conventional pot. Because of this, cooks use less fuel and can serve up delicious eats in half the time. POV

Aqua Cloud MinisCLEARWATER POOLS, HOUMA, 985.868.4809

Cajun Rocket PotHOME HARDWARE CENTER, HOUMA, 985.223.6370

Parking Pals

Safety is a top priority for parents and these stick-ons for your vehicle could make keeping your

child close an easier task. The vibrantly colored sticker acts as a safe spot and parents, grandparents or any guardian can teach little ones about remaining out of harm’s way in busy parking lots in a fun way that seems more like a game than another rule to follow.

PETIT NOUVEAU CHILDREN’S CONSIGNMENT & BOUTIQUE

HOUMA, 985.293.7340

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A D V E R T O R I A L

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It’s not in his nature. At 16, he stocked shelves at F.W. Woolworth and in the 1980s, he served as a fi eman with the Bayou Cane Volunteer Fire Department. He’s lent a helping hand to various community service organizations and you might even fi d him drag racing stock and super stock cars, a hobby he’s had the pleasure of sharing with the Teuton family of Southland Dodge since 2002.

He knows a thing or two about how a car should sound, drive and feel and has set out to create the best driving experience possible as the owner of Sams Audio, Houma’s one-stop shop for the best in car audio, lighting and security.

With two years of schooling in auto mechanics under his belt, Sam went to work for Apple Audio, a company that fostered his love for four wheels and a steering wheel. In 1989, he set out to open his own storefront, focusing primarily on car audio and security. Within eight years, the company was invited to move into Accessory World locations in Arlington, Texas, and Houma, increasing the products Sam and his team were able to offer to customers. The Texas location proved to be an enormous feat, however, with 511 miles between the two locations and the owner traveling back and forth roughly three times a week. Eventually shifting focus solely to the Houma store, Sam became a a partner with the Caro family at Accessory World and business continued to grow.

Travel trailers were eventually introduced and Sam brought Polaris off- oad vehicles and Victory Motorcycles to the Terrebonne Parish market. By 1996, he tacked on home theater and security installation and even dabbled in the automotive paint division from leading paint maker, Sherwin Williams, until 2001.

“I always stayed faithful to the audio business, though,” Sam explains. “The audio business has been there from the beginning.”

Today, Sams Audio relies on what they do best, offering products from leading manufacturers like Rockford Fosgate, Pioneer and JL Audio. They also carry a variety of radio-controlled products from companies like Traxxas and drones from DJI, a product used both as a hobby and by hunters, ideal for scoping out the terrain before them.

26 years later, Sam has now set his sights on a new adventure, one that will allow him to serve an even larger audience just three miles from his West Park Avenue-based audio store, a much easier commute than the one he was making all those years ago.

In June 2015, he purchased Houma Auto Parts from Calvin Prevost, established in 1933 as the fi st auto supply service in Houma. Over the years, the store evolved to sell more than just muffl s, tires and rims, tacking on guns and knives to the inventory to boost business during the oilfi ld downturn of the

Sam Lusco can’t sit still.

6770 West Park Ave.Houma, LA

985.851.3838

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1980s. Although the store front still dons its familiar blue lettering from decades gone by, something that will be replaced by year’s end to refl ct the store’s new moniker, Sam’s Firearms, things inside have been spruced up with heavy emphasis on retaining the legacy of Prevost’s hard work.

“We haven’t changed the business,” Sam says of the purchase, which included cleaning up fl or and warehouse space, installing computers and a kiosk for interactive selling, remerchandising and removing glass boxes from inventory to allow customers to actually see what’s in stock. “All we’re doing is enhancing, improving, updating and buying from more vendors to make more available. It’s all for the customer.”

In addition to the 200 - 250 fi earms in stock at all times, there’s a large selection of ammo, knives, Fort Knox Safes and niche’ products you won’t fi d at any big-box retailer. The store is also bringing in lots of inventory for duck hunters, well in advance of this year’s hunting season. Survival foods line store shelves too, a must-have for weathering storms and camping trips.

With each product added or audio system installed, Sam’s mission remains the same: provide customer service that is simply unmatched. Backed by a team of loyal, long-time

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POVHOUMA.COM 37


900 Honduras St./Tunnel Blvd.Houma, LA

985.876.1148

employees, who understand the importance of doing things the proper way, including 50-year Houma Auto Parts employee John Hebert, both stores are able to meet the needs of each customer and answer questions based on working knowledge and experience. All of this means doing business in-person, a tactic he believes creates lifelong customers.

“We strive for excellence,” Sam says. “There’s so much more that goes on in the background when it comes to solving problems or helping our customers. We try not to do business online because we fi d it’s impersonal and we like to speak to our customers face-to-face about our products to create a better buying experience ... I’ve grown up with my customers, so to speak. Those same people we do home security for, some of those same people have bought drones or car audio. I see some of those same customers [at Sam’s Firearms], too. Those customers are happy to see me here, too. It’s a familiar face for them.”

Th s passion to create a enjoyable buying experience is the driving force for Sam, constantly pushing him to make his businesses the best they can possibly be. Quality products, exceptional service and a knowledgeable staff ake for a combination that can’t be found anywhere else.

“I worked for people that weren’t always concerned about customer service,” he remembers. “For me, it’s not about being the biggest. It’s more about providing the best possible buying experience ... There’s some things I didn’t do very well at, but I learned a lot from it. What drives me is I’m always looking for new things. If you let the dust settle under your feet, I fi d you never get anywhere. I’ll never be rich but I provide jobs for other people and their families and it’s nice to be able to have customers that come back to you ... I still believe in a handshake.”

PoV 07-15.indd 37 6/18/15 10:57 AM


TIMEOUT

The Legacy of the Red Paperclip

JULY 20051.Tradedapaperclipforafish-shape pen–leftMontrealandwenttoVancouver2.Tradedafish-shape penforaceramicdoorknob–toSeattle,Washington3.TradedadoorknobforaColemancampstovewithfuel–toAmherst,MassachusettsSEPT. 20054.TradedaColemancampstoveforaHondagenerator–toSanDiego,CaliforniaNOV. 20055.TradedaHondageneratorforan“instantparty”–toMaspeth,Queens,NewYorkDEC. 20056.Tradedan“instantparty”forasnowmobile–toMontreal7.Tradedasnowmobileforatwo-persontriptoYahk,BritishColumbia–MontrealJAN. 20068.Tradedthesecondspotonthetripforacubevan–MontrealFEB. 20069.Tradedacubevanforarecordingcontract–toMississauga,OntarioAPRIL 200610. Traded a recording contract for a year’s rent in Phoenix, Arizona11.Tradedayear’srentinPhoenixforanafternoonwithAliceCooper– Phoenix, ArizonaMAY 200612.TradedanafternoonwithAliceCooperforaKISSmotorizedsnowglobe– to Villa Hills, KentuckyJUNE 200613. Traded a KISS motorized snow globe to actor Corbin Bernsen for a role in “DonnaonDemand”–toStudioCity,CaliforniaJULY 200614.Tradedfil roleforatwo-storyfarmhouseinKipling,Saskatchewan

Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald set out July 12, 2005, to buy a house using

only a red paperclip. Stealing the idea from a childhood game called “Bigger and Better,” he posted a photo of the office supply in the Barter Section of Craigslist, setting off a chain reaction that would ultimately lead him to 503 Main St., Kipling, Saskatchewan just one year later. It took 14 trades to get Kyle his house, a task that brought the 25-year-old across Canada and America. At the conclusion of the event, Kyle posted to his blog, explaining how the experi-ence evolved into a “social adventure,” much more than just a fun experiment. It allowed him to make a significant, positive impact on people’s lives and encouraged others to pursue their own wild ideas. Kyle has since given the house back to the town, leaving Kipling to meet new people and start new journeys. In the 10 years since the experiment, he has created a handful of other social adventures, like buying out an entire store in an effort to prevent the establishment from shutting down. With each effort, ideas are sparked and Kyle’s team continues to take the mission of the red paperclip to more places, fostering positive change and imagination in others. POV

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ReadyARMED

and

JACOB JENNINGS

JOHN CULHANE

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What would you do if you happened upon someone in your home that didn’t belong? Or, maybe you wake to the sound of a window shattering in another part of the house? Or, it’s 2 a.m. and a stranger is banging on your door, begging to come inside? What would you do? Members of The Well Armed Woman (TWAW) know exactly what they will do. These gals are taking charge of their own protection. Adrianna Eschete, the leader of TWAW’s Bayou Region chapter, says the organization’s goal is, as the name implies, teaching women to arm them-selves physically and emotionally. After all, knowledge is power. The Bayou Region Chapter is part of the national TWAW, which was started by Carrie Lightfoot. It’s aim is to provide a single resource for female gun owners and shooters to talk about the in’s and out’s of armed self-defense, gun own-ership, gun safety, shooting skills and gun-related products in a candid, concise manner. A component is teaching chil-dren gun safety and what to do around a weapon. “[Lightfoot] found that women in the male-driven firearm industry learn

The Well Armed Woman – Louisiana Bayou RegionMEMBERS MUST BE AT LEAST 21 AND ABLE TO LEGALLY PURCHASE AND OWN A FIREARM.MEMBERSHIP IS $50 ANNUALLY AND INCLUDES DISCOUNTS ON FIREARMS, STORE PURCHASES AND RANGE MEMBERSHIP. ATTENDANCE AT THE FIRST MEETING IS FREE.THE GROUP MEETS FROM 6 – 8 P.M. THE SECOND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE LAFOURCHE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE RANGE ON LA. HIGHWAY 182.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL TWAW _ [email protected].

differently and have different hurdles to deal with as gun owners,” Adrianna says. Dress, routines, storing firearms – they all differ between the sexes. “She began the organization so that women could educate, equip and empower other women gun owners in a safe, fun manner.” Two and a half years later, Lightfoot’s Arizona-born group has 211 chapters in 48 states. Each chapter meets at least once a month at a host range to practice safe firearm handling and self-defense skills. The Bayou Region chapter got its start in November 2013 and members continue to meet the second Thursday of each month at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Range. On any given day or night, in any given situation, anyone can become a victim. That’s why Adrianna, who is a National Rifle Association-certified instructor in pistol and personal protection inside the home, as well as an NRA range safety officer and a Louisiana State Police-approved concealed handgun license instructor, believes it is vital that women know how to protect themselves. “Being in Louisiana’s Sportsman’s Paradise, it seemed to make sense to provide an outlet for women to learn how to use the firearms their husbands, fathers and boyfriends hunt with or, better yet, bought as a gift to them for self protection,” she says. “I was alarmed as to how many women came to the first meeting just wanting to know how to use ‘that thing’ they feared so much that sat loaded on the nightstand every night, or the gift they had been given and not shot.

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“One cannot just purchase a firearm, place it on a night-stand or in the vehicle center console and be considered safe,” Adrianna stresses. “What happens in a circumstance where you may actually have to use that tool?” Adrianna hails from a gun-experienced family. Her mother-in-law was a gunsmith and other relatives competed in skeet shooting. With a friend’s help – that woman is a TWAW chapter leader in Georgia – she founded the local chaper of TWAW. “I felt as if this was a great organization and platform to assist other women in attaining firearm training and knowledge that I, myself, had been looking for,” she says. “I not only wanted to become a member, but I decided then I also wanted to begin a local chapter.” The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Range enthusiastically accepted and supported the group’s cause. In the Bayou Region chapter’s early days, Adrianna relied heavily on the national TWAW’s instruction and educational information. “I was still learning … still am right along with my members,” she says. But her drive for knowledge has helped her overcome insecurities as the lone woman among law enforcement, military and similar personnel. “It can be intimidating, but the importance of training and knowledge quickly takes over.” Today, in addition to basic shooting techniques, members learn to clean their firearms, hear the latest on ammunition, review scenarios and home protection skills and share thoughts about current events involving firearms. Guest speakers – police officers discussing concealed-carry laws, self-defense

experts and even manufacturers – drop by meetings. “The sky is the limit, and we have great topics in the coming months. And safety is part of every meeting,” she stresses. Word of the Bayou Region chapter has attracted women from all walks of life. “Our chapter has members who have different levels of experience and who want to advance their skills or share their knowledge and expertise to help other women,” Adrianna says. Since the local organization’s inception, none of the members have had to employ the skills they’ve learned at the range. “Honestly, I pray every day they never have to use them,” she says. Self-protection drew Krystal Cheramie to TWAW’s very first meeting. “I had zero knowledge of handguns and 100 percent fear of shooting,” she recalls. “Since then, my fear went away. TWAW has been great in showing me the correct and safe way of handling my gun. I still have a lot to learn but … I know I can defend myself if needed.” Likewise, Rachel Brunet was new to shooting when she joined. “I had never even held a gun,” she explains. “They made me nervous and uncomfortable.” A single woman, she was looking for ways to protect herself. “My confidence has grown exponentially, and the women are so easy to relate to.” “I came into the club with no experience and was terrified of holding a gun,” member Heidi Bourg echoes. “This club has taught me so much. It is such a good experience to learn proper techniques and self-defense in the event something would hap-pen in reality. I absolutely love this club.” POV

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POV PICKS

Hanley’s Sensation Dressing

It’s right on the bottle – this dressing is sensational. Hailing from Prairieville, the concoction is

simple with delicate flavors of cheese, lemon, salt and pepper balancing out the crispness of greens. It’s mild, providing just the right something extra to an average salad and each bottle is created with tender, loving care by creator Richard Hanley and his family and friends. POV

HANLEYSFOODS.COM

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Ever find yourself at a regular sit-down place and get the feeling that something’s not right? You look suspiciously at

the walls and servers, but for now they all seem OK. Then you scan the table beneath your palms: artificial woodgrain with a few rogue grains of salt here and there. And then it hits you: There’s no salt shaker at your table. Your food has not yet arrived, and without proper funda-mental condiments you’re already deducting from the tip and writing angry phrases on the comment card in your brain. As a consumer of French fries and burgers you are due, at mini-mum, a shaker of salt, a shaker of pepper, a bottle of ketchup and a squeezie of mustard. As the mental comment card explains, you are unequivocally entitled to these fundamental condiments – shiny or sticky! So next, you reach over to the nearest table where less entitled people are eating green salads, and you take their salt shaker – which, by French-fried right, is really yours. Ever done that? Ever taken condiments by force from some-one else’s table? Well, no one has to go that far and “cry over spilled salt,” as the old adage kinda goes, because condiment manufacturers are waging war all by themselves. Just in time for summer picnics and barbeques, national adversaries are entering each other’s well-defined condiment markets attempt-ing to spread (pun intended) their influence and p ofit ma gins. Just a few months ago, the H.J. Heinz Company – the largest ketchup seller in the U.S. – released a new television commercial campaign advertising “Heinz Yellow Mustard.” Now, we all know that French’s Food Company dominates U.S. mustard sales. So, what does the reigning mustard empire do when challenged by a new competitor? That’s right: Within one month after Heinz mustard commercials appeared, the new French’s Ketchup made its own television debut. Heinz and French’s are very large American food companies and can well afford to wage war. Headquartered in Pittsburgh since 1876, Heinz is known for its sauces and purchasing nam-ing rights to Heinz Field – the stadium home to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s even said that Heinz owns naming rights to the Steeler ’s all-time leader in receptions and touchdowns – Hines

Dawn of the Condiment Wars

JOHN DOUCET

UNDERTHE SCOPE

John Doucet is the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Nicholls State University.

Ward. But sources close to the NFL great’s family insist that they’ve purchased only the phonetic rights and not the entire naming rights. French’s is native to Rochester, New York, and has been producing its famous yellow mustard since 1904. With no NFL-sized sports arena in town, French’s will not be outdone: It’s said that the company is in negotiations to purchase naming rights to nearby Lake Ontario. And French’s is going one step further in attacking the U.S. ketchup market. Advertisements deliberately tout that the new ketchup is free of high-fructose corn syrup. Not only does the Heinz product contain the syrup as its second most prevalent ingredient, but another ketchup manufacturer, Hunts, tried to remove it, only to bring it back after declined sales. Seems like French’s is not so “yellow” after all, waging condiment war on not one but two fronts! What a food fight! The last time two alternative brands went after each other this vehemently was the Cola Wars of the early 1980s, which culminated with the late Michael Jackson’s hair catching fire during a Pepsi commercial. Like my elementary school teacher once said, “When foods fight, someone always gets hurt.” What if the winds of war blow home? We’ve already seen New Orleans-born and Louisiana-owned Blue Plate recently win nationwide taste tests over Hellman’s. What would happen if Heinz, French’s or Hellman’s discovers that we make crab and crawfish dip by combining their products? Will they concoct and bottle a pinkish mixture and try to sell it? Can you see competing condiment executives with opened claws waving and telescoping eyes rising above their hot shells as they slowly circle each other, their pointy backlegs clacking against broken shells? I can see it. Like many readers out there, I am known to occasionally daydream of seafood. With condiments. Even con-diments taken from an unsuspecting and sticky table. POV

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PoV Celebrates 100 Issues

OH SNAP

Far from what I once was but not yet what I’m going to be. –UNKNOWN

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POVHOUMA.COM 51

Thank you so much! Here’s to the next hundred ...

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Courtesy ofWHO AM I?

You might think you know everyone in the area, but some of our hometown's most upstanding citizens (those you would know) sure have changed!

Who Am I?• During the Vietnam War, I served in the United States

Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

• I played baseball for LSU.

• I was one of 11 children.

• If you are sick, I can surely fix you up!

Check next month’s issueto learn my identity. Good luck!

Last month’s mystery young’n:

Dr. Gregory MorrisOchsner St. Anne General Hospital

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fi life

54 WARM UP Season’s Eatings

56 WHATCHA MAKIN’ Omelet with Summer Vegetables

57 THIBODAUX REGIONAL Play It Safe ... Beat the Heat!

58 CHUNKY DUNKERS Group Swims Away the Pounds

62 WHAT’S SHAKIN’ How You Can Roday Around Your Community

64 FITMIND What Are You Thinking About?

65 COOL DOWN The Green Machine

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fi life J U LY 2 0 1554

Season’s Eatings

WARMUp

C AV E M E N K N E W a thing or two

about eating the bounties of each sea-

son. The benefit of eating according

to what’s plentiful at the time pro-

vides variety all year long, a funda-

mental part of keeping a healthy diet.

In fall and winter, it’s all about

heartier foods that keep you warm

and full. In spring, our bodies crave

light, cleansing fare like salads. Dur-

ing summer, which kicked off on June

21, it’s time for high-energy carbo-

hydrates that energize, giving you

stamina to spend more time outdoors.

Eating in this manner encourages

you to pick foods that taste great

and seek out sources, like farmer’s

markets, that sell the freshest picks,

not foods that may have been shipped

from other countries, therefore reduc-

ing the fruit’s or vegetable’s growing

time and flavor.

Because you are using items only

at their peak, you’ll have to force

yourself to try some new things, but

increased variety means increased

nutritional benefits. Try beets,

believed to purify the blood and help

prevent various cancers, in summer.

In the dead of winter, go for parsnips,

which are packed with potassium. By

eating various colored items, such as

green vegetables for vitamin K and

purple vegetables for antioxidants,

you reap all the nutrients you need

to be healthy.

But just because fruits and vegetables

are only considered ideal at certain

times of year doesn’t mean you can’t

enjoy them outside of their season.

Canning, instead of picking up pro-

duce that isn’t in season, will pre-

serve the flavors to enjoy year-round.

PRIME PICKINGS FOR

LOUISIANA IN JULY

• Apples

• Green, Shell & Snap Beans

• Beets

• Blueberries

• Cantaloupe

• Carrots

• Chili Peppers

• Cucumbers

• Figs

• Garlic

• Kale

• Lettuce

• Nectarines

• Okra

• Peaches

• Plums

• Raspberries

• Strawberries

• Tomatoes

• Watermelon

• Zucchini

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fi lifeP OV H O U M A .C O M 55

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S U M M E R I S U P O N U S and now is the perfect time to

incorporate seasonal eats into our meals. Breakfast can

be a notoriously tricky entree to make – it needs to be

relatively simple, healthy, but more importantly, it needs

to be made quickly.

Prepare the vegetables in this recipe the night before and

whip up this delicious omelet for yourself or your loved

ones for breakfast the following day. Zucchini is an often

over-looked source of vitamin C, while corn is rich in

antioxidants and is believed to improve eyesight. Com-

bined with the calcium-rich cheese and omega-3 fatty

acids from the eggs, this dish is a delicious and nutritious

alternative to the typical eggs and bacon.

Makin'WHATCHA

Omelet with Summer Vegetables

W H AT Y O U ’ L L N E E D :

2/3 cup whole kernel corn

1/2 cup zucchini, chopped

3 T. green onion, chopped

1/4 t. salt, divided

2 T. water

1/4 t. black pepper

3 egg whites

1 large egg

2 T. smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

Omelet with Summer Vegetables

H O W T O M A K E I T :

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan

with cooking spray and add corn, zucchini, onion and 1/8

teaspoon salt to the pan. Sauté until vegetables are ten-

der or about four minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine

the rest of the salt, water, pepper, egg white and egg in a

bowl and stir well with a whisk. Coat pan with cooking

spray and pour egg mixture into pan. Cook until edges

begin to lift up. Gently lift the edges with a spatula,

tilting the pan to cook the entire mix. Spoon vegetable

mixture onto half of the omelet and sprinkle mixture

with cheese. Fold egg in half over the mixture and cook

until the cheese melts. Carefully slide omelet onto a plate

and serve.

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Play It Safe... Beat the Heat!

T H I B O D A U X R E G I O N A L M E D I C A L C E N T E RW E

S U P P O R T

a healthier

future

W I T H S U M M E R A L R E A D Y U P O N U S ,

many people take to the great outdoors

to soak up the sun, begin an exercise

program, work in the garden or perform

other tasks that may lead to overexer-

tion in the heat. There are three stages

of heat illness - heat stress, heat ex-

haustion and heat stroke. For this article

we will focus on heat exhaustion.

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body

is depleted of fluids, most commonly

through sweating. Symptoms include

dizziness, confusion, elevated body

temperature, skin redness, and cramp-

ing, usually in the hip, stomach, and calf

areas. Your pulse is faint and rapid, and

the sweating mechanism may shut down.

L A R R Y D ’ A N T O N I , C O O R D I N AT O R , S P O R T S M E D I C I N E

C E N T E R O F T H I B O D A U X R E G I O N A L

For more information contact Larry D’Antoni, Coordinator,

Sports Medicine Center of Thibodaux Regional, 985.493.4502.

A person that exhibits this type of condition should be brought to an air

conditioned area. Placing ice packs on the entire body helps to lower the

surface temperature. The consumption of fluids should begin immediately.

Frequently, an IV is necessary to restore the fluid concentration to an

acceptable level.

Here are some safety guidelines to follow this summer:

• D R I N K P L E N T Y O F F L U I D S ( W AT E R , E L E C T R O LY T E D R I N K S ) .

• W E A R C O O L , L I G H T C O L O R E D C L O T H I N G W H E N E X E R C I S I N G .

• TA K E B R E A K S E V E R Y 3 0 M I N U T E S .

• AV O I D A C T I V I T Y D U R I N G T H E H O T T E S T PA R T O F T H E D AY.

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J O S E D E L G A D OC A S E Y G I S C L A I R

Chunky

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M O V I N G A R O U N D I S R O U G H F O R B A R B A R A L E D E T T H E S E D AY S .

S H E ’ S N O T A S Y O U N G A S S H E U S E D T O B E , A N D T H E M I D D L E A G E S

O F L I F E H AV E B R O U G H T H E R S H A R E O F A C H E S A N D PA I N S .

“It’s rough, sometimes,” Barbara says,

smiling. “There are days when my body

hurts. But I make it through.”

She still works. She pushes through the

creaky joints and achy bones and makes

an honest living. While on the clock, she

says she waits for 5 p.m. to mark the end

of another day.

Barbara enjoys her work. She likes all

of the responsibilities that it brings. But

being off the clock provides a chance to

bond with her family – a family that

was created in the name of fitness and

overall wellbeing for the people of south

Lafourche Parish.

Barbara is a member of the Chunky

Dunkers – a local team that has been

swimming at the Cut Off Youth Center’s

pool since 1992.

The workouts are every weekday at either 7

a.m. or 6 p.m. (weather permitting) and the

cost is $3 per session or $30 per month.

For some, it’s about the exercise, but for

others it’s the camaraderie and family

aspect of it all that’s most appealing. The

Chunky Dunkers have fun. They are a team.

They stick together until the end and push

one another through the challenges of life

– both good and bad.

“It’s family. We are a family here,” Chunky

Dunker instructor Connie Callais says.

“We push each other and we get each other

through. Some of these people have trouble

walking or have different aches or stresses.

But on the water, they feel so much bet-

ter. We give them a chance to be a part of a

family and we all work hard, but have fun

at the same time. It’s an amazing commu-

nity thing.”

For Connie, the Chunky Dunker experience

is 20-plus years in the making. She says

the group formed as a way for people to

stay in shape.

And as for the name, she says it speaks to

the obvious – the people doing the exer-

cises aren’t super models, fitness gurus or

swimming champions. The beauty of it all

is that they are instead average Joe’s and

Jane’s who just want a way to better them-

selves through water aerobics training.

“Just look at our bodies,” Connie exclaims,

chuckling, when asked where the name

came from. “I don’t think anyone would be

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paying any kind of big money to see

us in a swimsuit competition. We

have shirts and the members like to

wear them and everything. We just

have fun with it. We have a good

time.”

But they put in the work, too.

Throughout the hour-long work-

outs, the group works on cardio,

lower arm weight training, lower

body work and work with swim-

ming pool noodles.

Connie stresses that everyone is

welcome to be a Chunky Dunker,

regardless of swimming expertise,

physical condition or knowledge of

the routine. She says participants

work at their own pace and no one

gets left behind.

Barbara says it’s tough to get

through sometimes, but once the

workout is complete, the rush is

indescribable.

“It feels so good,” she adds. “It’s

hard to do the exercises sometimes,

but it makes you feel better.”

It’s the success stories that keep

Connie involved.

She says the feeling of pride and

fulfillment in her heart when a

Chunky Dunker accomplishes a

personal goal or gets in better

shape is one that can’t be rivaled.

Connie says it’s those stories and

positive progress reports that

inspire her to inspire others.

Some Chunky Dunkers have basic

aches and pains like tendinitis,

arthritis and other bumps and

bruises. But others are cancer sur-

vivors, stroke victims or patients

with other severe ailments.

One of those is Mr. Steve, an older

gentleman who suffers from post-

traumatic stress disorder and has a

tough time walking on hard ground.

But in the pool, he’s just like any-

one else, performing the exercises

like he was still a 30-year-old.

“I had a couple when we first

started that came – it was a hus-

band and wife,” Connie recalls.

“They both had a hard time getting

around, but in the pool, they were

so nimble and graceful. One day, we

turned around and they were danc-

ing – slow dancing in the water.

The woman told me that it was the

first time she and her husband had

danced in decades.

“We laugh. Sometimes we cry. We’re

a family. There’s no other way to

say it. We’re a family.”

A family that is always looking for

more members, as well.

Connie says the Chunky Dunkers

train “until the water gets too cold”

each summer with its usual Monday

- Friday schedule.

To get involved, just show up at

the Cut Off Youth Center pool. One

doesn’t even need a bathing suit, as

any form of T-shirt and shorts can

suffice as swimming gear.

“We’re here to help,” Connie says.

“And we want to help as many

people as we can.”

“This is a blessing from God,”

Barbara adds. “I love being a

Chunky Dunker.”

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Shakin'WHAT'S

W A N T U S T O I N C L U D E Y O U R E V E N T I N O U R C A L E N D A R ?

Shoot an email to [email protected] and we’ll help spread the word.

HOUMA INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION

2-MILE DASH & ½-MILE FUN RUN

SATURDAY, JULY 4, FUN RUN: 5:45 P.M., 2-MILE DASH: 6 P.M.

Where: Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma

Details: Celebrate Independence Day with this race

through the Houma Independence Day celebration. Race

day registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. and entry is $20

for the 2-mile dash and $10 for the fun run.

Contact: H O U M A I N D E P E N D E N C E C E L E B R AT I O N . C O M

GET GOLF READY

JULY 11, 18, 25, AUG. 1, 10 A.M.

Where: TPC Louisiana, Avondale

Details: PGA and LPGA professionals will show

participants the skills necessary to learn the rewarding

sport of golf. Each session will focus on one or two

specific skills, building upon the fundamentals taught

in the previous lesson. No equipment needed and

participants will get to play on the course that hosts the

Zurich Classic. Registration is $99.

Contact: A C T I V E . C O M

COYOTE CHASE TRAIL RUN/WALK

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 8 A.M.

Where: City Park, New Orleans

Details: The third leg of the New Orleans Trail Run/

Walk Series, this 2-mile race takes participants on a

meandering path through the iconic City Park. Finishers

will receive commemorative medals. This race is walker

and family friendly. Participants are encouraged to bring

their cameras to snap photos of nature sights along the

route. Registration is $25 for adults and $20 for those 17

and younger and 65 and older.

Contact: N O L A R U N N I N G . C O M

MIGHTY KIDS TRIATHLON

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 7:30 A.M.

Where: Bayouland YMCA, Houma

Details: Children ages 3 - 14 will participate in this

USAT-sanctioned event featuring a swim, bike and

run designed specifically for kids. Each contender will

receive a participation medal and prizes will be handed

out to top finishers. There is also a category for children

who are physically challenged. Registration is $25 for

individuals and $75 for relay teams. The swim portion

of the event will take place in a pool and the bike and

run courses will run along Valhi Boulevard. Proceeds

from this event benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation. This race is limited to 250 participants.

Contact: MIGHTYKIDSTRATHLON.ORG, [email protected]

SPILLWAY CLASSIC TRAIL RUN

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 8 A.M.

Where: Bonnet Carre Spillway Boat Launch, Norco

Details: Explore three miles of the Bonnet Carre Spillway

at one of the oldest trail runs in the country. Cash

prizes will be awarded to top finishers and two random

finishers. An after-party will be held at the Spillway Bar

across the street from the boat launch. Registration is

$25 through July 12 and $30 after. Youth 20 and under

may register for $20 through July 12 and $30 after.

Contact: R U N N O T C . O R G

ROCKETKIDZ LSU

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 7:15 A.M.

Where: LSU Natatorium, Baton Rouge

Details: Kids ages 6 - 14 will challenge themselves with

this swim, bike and run that takes little racers to some

of the most familiar parts of LSU’s campus. The swim

portion will be held at the Natatorium, the bike ride

will be around campus on closed streets and the run will

be on campus sidewalks around the Bernie Moore Track

Stadium and PMAC. Six-year-old participants will swim

50 meters, bike 1.2 miles and run .6 miles; children ages 7

- 10 will swim 100 meters, bike 2 miles and run .6 miles;

children ages 11 - 14 will swim 200 meters, bike 4 miles

and run 1.2 miles. Registration is $35.

Contact: R O C K E T K I D Z . O R G

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COLOR THE ISLAND 5K

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 6 P.M.

Where: Bridgeside Marina, Grand Isle

Details: Take to the sand at this colorful 5K on Grand

Isle Beach. The event douses participants with colored

powder as they make their way through the course.

Proceeds will benefit Louisiana National Guard

Operation Christmas Angels, designed to assist soldiers

and airmen who are experiencing financial hardship

during Christmas by providing gifts for their children.

Registration is $40 for adults and $25 for those 12 and

under.

Contact: C O L O R T H E I S L A N D . C O M

RUN FOR THE RIBS 5K

SATURDAY, JULY 25, 8 A.M.

Where: Corner of 3rd and Greenwood Streets,

Morgan City

Details: Race to the finish line at this event in

conjunction with the Bayou BBQ Bash. Gift certificates to

area BBQ restaurants and Schlitterbahn Water Park will

be given out to top finishers. Entry is $20 by July 24 and

$25 after. Registration must be submitted by July 17 to

receive a race shirt. Those 70 and older may participate

for $15.

Contact: 985.518.6941 OR [email protected]

BLACKLIGHT RUN

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 8:30 P.M.

Where: Zephyr Field, Metairie

Details: Focus less on speed and more on having fun at

this glow run at Zephyr Field. Participants travel three

miles, getting covered in UV Neon Glow Powder at spots

along the route. A pre-race party kicks things off an

hour before the race and an after-party will close out the

event. Standard registration is $40 and VIP registration

is $75 and includes a shirt, glow pack, tattoo, LED

accessories and access to the VIP Start Chute. The race

benefits Children’s Hospital.

Contact: B L A C K L I G H T R U N . C O M

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fiM I N D

M A N Y H E A LT H C A R E P R O V I D E R S are reading the

research that an optimistic attitude leads to greater

health and happiness. This is important information

to share with patients.

A recent study at the University of Illinois examined asso-

ciations between optimism and heart health in more than

5,100 adults. Among the findings were, “People who have

upbeat outlooks on life have significant better cardiovas-

cular health” and “Individuals with the highest levels of

optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovas-

cular health compared to more pessimistic counterparts.”

Other studies have reported that positive thinkers achieve

more, live longer and are happier than negative thinkers.

This should give you something to think about.

The legacy of Abraham Lincoln is well known. Among his

many famous quotes is, “Most people are about as happy

as they make up their minds to be.” Think about what

President Lincoln said for a minute.

Positive thinking and attitude enable you to appreciate

the bright side of life. For many it is a lifestyle choice just

as eating healthier, hydrating with water and exercising

regularly. These are all habits of those who have a good

understanding of self-awareness – their strengths and

their weaknesses. An all too common weakness in many

of us is worry, which often results in distress.

Another legendary figure Mahatma Gandhi said, “There is

nothing that wastes the body like worry, and one who has

faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything

whatsoever.” That’s something to think about. Gandhi also

said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say

and what you do are in harmony.”

D R . J . M I C H A E L F LY N N practices at the

Flynn Clinic of Chiropractic in Houma.

He is available to “talk health” with your

organization or club—call 985.855.4875

or visit www.drmikeflynn.com.

When your state of mind is generally optimistic, you’re

better able to handle everyday stress and successfully

cope with the many challenges we all face.

Here are some suggestions to help you improve the habit

of being more optimistic:

• M A K E A H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E I M P O R TA N T T O Y O U

A N D Y O U R L O V E D O N E S . Regular exercise affects your

mood in a positive way with the release of endorphins,

which trigger positive feelings in the body. Nutritious

food nourishes the body and mind. Stay hydrated with

water – all day long. Learn how to manage stress and

how to best avoid distress.

• S U R R O U N D Y O U R S E L F W I T H P O S I T I V E R O L E

M O D E L S . Make sure those in your life are positive

and supportive. In turn you can become a positive role

model.

• P R A C T I C E P O S I T I V E S E L F - TA L K . Make it a habit to be

gentle and encouraging with yourself. There are enough

critics in the world. Choose to be your best friend in

your self-talk and avoid beating yourself up in your

thinking. You control your thoughts and have the ability

to change them. When a negative thought enters your

thinking – evaluate it and respond immediately with a

positive thought.

The question we each have to ask ourselves is “what are

we thinking about?” Are we counting our blessings and

thinking about them with gratitude? Think about it.

What are You Thinking About?

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coolD O W N The Green

Machine

Y O U R PA R E N T S A LW AY S T O L D Y O U : “Be sure to eat

your greens.” Turns out, one green in particular, spinach,

just might be the solution to constant snacking and could

help improve overall health.

In June, Pennington Biomedical Research Center

scientists confirmed the effectiveness of a spinach-based

dietary supplement believed to cut hunger and increase

the feeling of fullness. The supplement contains an

extract of the dark leafy green and is enriched with thy-

lakoids, disk-shaped structures found in the energy-mak-

ing components of plants. Thylakoid membranes encour-

age the release of the satiety hormones and reduce the

hunger hormone, ghrelin, by interacting with fats, which

are pushed into the lower part of the digestive track and

trigger slower digestion, ultimately helping those who

tend to overeat to consume only what they need to feel

full.

Dating back to the 12th century, the green quickly made

its way throughout Europe and became a go-to vegetable

for good health and rightfully so. It’s low in fat and cho-

lesterol and rich in antioxidants to keep your body clear

of free radicals. It’s also rich in Vitamin B3, a component

essential to the conversion of proteins, fats and carbohy-

drates into usable energy, as well as magnesium, which

aids metabolism, and a host of other nutrients essential

to a healthy lifestyle.

So how does one reap some of the benefits of this power

food when cooking? Although eating it in its natural state

will offer up the same nutritional benefits, breaking spin-

ach down will activate the nutritional components inside

much quicker than simply relying on your stomach to do

the work. As with the supplement tested by Pennington,

the nutrients inside spinach may be activated via heat, as

suggested by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chem-

istry or by blending it into a smoothie or soup. Your body

also relies on fat to properly absorb most of the vitamins

in spinach, so adding a little olive, canola, soybean or

other oil to your meal further helps the nutrient release

take place.

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MELISSA DUET

TELLME WHY

We start asking “Why?” at a very young age. And, frankly, we never seem to grow out of the habit. So ... in the spirit of being inquisitive, we decided to

keep on asking and searching for answers to some of life’s most perplexing questions.

Why do old books have a funny smell?The mystifying smell brimming from secondhand bookstores lies within the compounds making up the pages of each book on the shelf. The smell stems from the chemical breakdown of components such as cellulose and lignin in the pages. Lignin helps keep wood stiff and is also responsible for the yellowing of pages. The reactions of chemicals, referred to as acid hydrolysis, produce a wide range of smells like benzaldehyde, which creates an almond scent, and ethyl benzene, which create sweet smells, creating the unique scent.

Why did the Hollywood Sign originally say “Hollywoodland”?The 45-foot-tall letters that have become synonymous with the West Coast film industry were constructed on Mount Lee in Los Angeles in 1923 to advertise a suburban subdivision. Real estate developer and Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler established an upscale neighborhood called Hollywoodland in March of that year and constructed the elaborate signage, complete with 4,000 20-watt flashing lights, in hopes of drawing people to the area. The sign eventually deteriorated in the 1940s but because it became such an iconic part of the city, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Parks Department agreed to repurpose the sign, remov-ing the “land” portion since it no longer served its original purpose. POV

Why do we have birthmarks?Birthmarks come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, but all originate from an excess of pigment cells or an excess of blood vessels confined to one area of the skin. When melanin levels, the component that gives skin its color, are abnormal, a pigmented birthmark appears on the surface either as a type of mole, brown cafe-au-lait spot or blue-gray hued Mongolian spot. Those caused by excess blood vessels are categorized as small, red macular stains or “angel’s kisses,” port-wine stains that appear a deep maroon on the face or neck, or hemangiomas, which can appear either red or purple depending on how deep they penetrate the skin.

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JO ANN LEBOEUF

MELISSA DUET

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GTheourmet Laughter is brightest in the place where food is.

–IRISH PROVERB

Girls

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Conversation, broken up by spon-taneous laughter, drifts through

the rooms of Houma’s Designs by Two, owned by interior designers Crystal Crosby and Madonna Scurlock. The duo, accompanied by best friends Pat Vizier, CeCe Rome and Melanie Charpentier, gather around a table at the back of the store, catching up during their monthly get-together, a tradition that has spanned an impressive 28 years. The five ladies have food to thank for their long-standing friendship. It’s the common denominator that brings them together in backyards, dining rooms and brunch spots to break bread together and pass a good time. “We went on a tour to a plantation home and we started talking about a cooking club,” Crystal recalls of the trip nearly 30 years ago. “We wanted this to be a girl’s night out and that’s how it started.” Crystal and Madonna approached Pat about the idea at a wedding reception soon after and before long, the three were getting request after request to join the group, now known as the Gourmet Girls. By luck of the draw, literally, CeCe and Melanie, who knew each other prior to joining the trio, were selected, com-pleting the circle of five, who now whip up delicious meals as part of a monthly dinner club hosted on a rotating basis at each of their homes. At its inception, the meal was a way to try new recipes and teach each other the basics of throwing a proper dinner party. Now it serves as an outing for the women, who drive between River Ridge and Lafourche Parish, to create one-of-a-kind meals based on themes like break-fast for supper, tailgating or even yoga night, an activity that brought together healthy eating and a trip to the gym.

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“We were all so young back then and the whole dinner party thing was intimidating,” Madonna says. “To set a table – I had no idea what side was for the fork, for the knife. It helped us to get over that fear of entertaining ... We wanted to get away from the boxed mac and cheese. We were in our early 20s, so we were basically teaching ourselves how to cook, how to set a table, how to make a nice presentation. All of us had a basic understanding of cooking that our parents taught us, but this brought it to another level.” Each monthly meal is separated into five portions – drink, appetizer, soup or salad, entree and dessert – and each per-son takes responsibility for one part. The hostess makes the entree and everyone collaborates on the theme, which is trans-lated not only into the dishes served, but also the decor for the evening. The one stipulation is that the dishes must be a bit elevated in an effort to think beyond the typical, easy-to-cook foods made on any given day. At its inception, the thought of host-ing a dinner was daunting for the five women, all newlyweds, but knowing it had to be done motivated them to make sure their guests felt welcome. “When we first started, we even cleaned our closets,” Pat remembers. “Now we clean the dining room table,

the bathroom, the kitchen.” Although the dinners have become a bit more relaxed over the years, close attention is still given to a properly set table, a constant at every meal shared. “The setting of the table is really important,” Crystal says. “We take pride in that. We will do paper plates sometimes if the occasion is right. But the majority of the time we’ve got our crystal, the china and a full place setting and fresh flowers ... I have to do it the night before. Before I even grocery shop, the table’s got to be set.” During the year, four of the women host two meals each, one hosts a more elaborate Christmas meal and the other three months are reserved for venturing out to local restaurants and wine bars in pursuit of the next great bite. In nearly 30 years, the ladies have only repeated one or two recipes, like Pat’s Sweet Potato and Sausage Gumbo, a dish that simply couldn’t be made just once. And most of these dishes, despite trying them out for the first time at the monthly meal, have been quite delicious. The mishaps that do occur, from tak-ing a tumble from a step ladder the day before one particular Christmas affair to setting off the smoke alarm at 2 a.m. after an evening of barbecuing, make for the memories the ladies reminisce about as they gather around the table today.

“It started out as cooking, but it’s more about family now,” CeCe explains. “Now that we’ve been together for so long, the most important thing right now is our friendship.” “It’s funny with everything that we’ve been through,” Melanie adds. “We all had kids and then we started with foot-ball, college basketball, weddings and grandbabies.” And the monthly gathering, no matter how busy everyone has gotten, has remained a priority, a necessity especially during the hard times. “I remember when my dad was so sick and I was so stressed and I said, ‘Maybe I should quit everything,’” Pat says. “My sister told me, ‘Do not quit your gourmet group. You need that more than any-thing.’ It’s like a support group.” The food is what brings them together, but what keeps them together is that bond, strengthened with each dish prepared. The ability to gather and catch up, in good times and bad, earns The Gourmet Girls a permanent spot on the calendar each month for as long as their schedules will allow. “We may have to get a little bus and go from nursing home to nursing home,” Madonna jokes, “but we’re going to do it.” POV

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For more than half a century she has stared down storms that would

strafe the Cajun coast, with unblinking eyes of stone. She has served as a harbin-ger of good fortune and safety for sea-men venturing beyond the diminishing bars of the Isles Dernieres archipelago, and delivered a silent but stoic message of safer waters for those returning home. Now she has a new home herself, a perch nearer to shore. Tides, wind and rain that eat away the barrier islands took their toll on the sands beneath the statue some call “Our Lady Star of the Sea,” “Our Lady of the Sea” and others simply “The Lady.” And so she’s been moved for a third time to safer ground, still inspiring and protect-ing, but better able to survive a savage storm’s assault. Considering the rate Louisiana’s coast erodes, the elite club of volunteers who protect her say they’re sure it won’t be the last time. They thus agree that the statue’s changing fates constitute a bell-weather for our own.

Miracles are sometimes associated with religious statues. This one is given no credit for healing the lame or giving sight to the blind. But those who know her full story – which involves many helping hands working over generations of local families toward a common goal – are comfortable with the suggestion that the statue’s con-tinued safe-keeping, and therefore the continuation of what she symbolizes, is miraculous enough. Chuck Weaver Jr., a Houma banker who is an active third-generation mem-ber of the Whiskey Pass Silver King Rodeo Association, the club that pur-chased and watches out for the statue that is said to watch over mariners, has no doubt that its new home is only temporary. “Thinking about my grandfather being one of those who erected the statue in the mid-1900s and then my father in 1982 moving it to its third place and now me, his son, moving it in 2015, I have no doubt that my own children will have

to move the statue again,” Chuck says. “Hopefully maybe once, but maybe more even in our lifetime due to the coastal erosion we experience.”

Killer StormA full appreciation of the rodeo club’s dedication requires an understanding of geography in Terrebonne Parish’s lower reaches, and the related history. South of Cocodrie is a hodgepodge of shape-shifting islands and ridges whose presence creates a maze of waterways, some broad and vast, with others twist-ing and tight. Beyond these, about 17 miles south of the last place automobiles can travel, is what now makes up Last Island, the remains of what was once a solid barrier island that gave protection to the mainland from the windward open Gulf of Mexico waters. In 1856 the island was a playground for Louisiana’s well-to-do, an oceanside wonderland with entertainment, gam-bling and good food. All of that came to a crashing and tragic end in August of

Statue’s trek marks the erosion of Louisiana’s coast

and many helping hands

JOSE DELGADOJOHN DESANTIS

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that year, when the island took a direct hit from a fast-moving hurricane that would have been at least a Category 4 by today’s standards. More than 200 people died as hotel buildings collapsed and raging waves swept away stragglers. When storm surge waters receded, the island was broken up into segments, never to regain its former glory.

Island ReduxMainland Terrebonne Parish, meanwhile, continued to grow. Despite hardships caused by war and later storms, the parish prospered, with seafood, sugar and oil exploration feeding or creating fortunes. After World War II, Last Island again became a destination of sorts. Sport fishing was a favorite activity for members of local families who had made marks in law, medicine and other pursuits. A few built camps, on a portion of Last Island’s eastern remnant, near an inlet called Whiskey Pass. “The setting was beautiful, but rugged” recalls Houma attorney Berwick Duval, who as a child spent weekends on the island with his family. “We had no communications or a source of water. Tight-knit community out there, they helped each other out if there was a medical emergency or someone ran out of supplies. But pretty much you were on your own.” His father, the late attorney Stanwood Duval Sr.; the late Elward Brady, former-ly a state legislator; “Johnny” Jaccuzzo, a chairman of the Houma Housing Author-ity and operator of a Studebaker dealer-ship on Barrow Street; and the late Jules Landry, as well as banker Chuck Weaver Sr. and Pete Duplantis are among those whose passion was fishing the tarpon and spending available time on Last Island. All were founding members of the Whiskey Pass Association, chartered in 1958. The members held an annual rodeo, at the time every Labor Day week-end. It is now held in June.

Labor of LoveShortly after the club’s founding some members thought a beacon or signal of some sort was needed to help guide fishermen from their adventures back to the island. A number of the club members were devout Catholics, and an idea was floated for a statue with spiritual significance to help serve that purpose. “We wanted there to be a guide, like a lighthouse, and something that would look over the fishermen–commercial and recreational–this is what we wanted,” says retired Houma businessman Pete Duplantis, one of the club members who contrib-uted to the statue’s cost, as did Dagate Marine founder Vincent Dagate. “We wanted to put a light on top of it for the guys, myself included. We went venturing offshore in those days, maybe five or 10 miles out into the Gulf. The only instruments we had were a compass and maybe a chart that looked like it was written by Cooter Brown.” The suggestion for a statue of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, was favored although not by all of the club’s members, as not all were Catholic, according to Duplantis’ recollection. A Marrero importer, Hans Hasen, located an artist in Italy who could produce a suitable sculpture and she arrived in Houma May 10, 1962. She was every bit the Blessed Virgin Mary, 6 feet tall and weighing 1,376 pounds. The sculptor of record, according to the shipping information, which Dulpantis and his wife, Billie, still have, was identified as Prof. Aldo Pern. The name, sculptors interviewed for this story said, could have been shortened. It appeared in the packing information as Pern Aldo, but sculptors familiar with Italian custom said it would not be unusual for the first and last name to be reversed. She was snow white, made of Carrara marble, meaning the stone was quarried from the same 17-mile mountain range whose like treasures were used by Michelangelo and Donatello. “She was of a theme, the very patient family waiting on shore, scanning the seas to see if their sailors were really coming back,” Billie Duplantis says. The statue was erected on the western shore of Last Island at Whiskey Pass, atop a 12-foot tall cement pyramid.

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The placement was a labor of love; men remained on the island for the better part of a week building the pyramid, and then performing the backbreaking task of raising the statue to the top of that base. “We got a cement mixer out there and and everything was done by hand,” Pete recalls. “We hand-pulled and we poured 17 yards of cement, with reinforcing rods and rebars in it.”

Our Lady of the SeaA mass was celebrated by the Rev. James Caillouet at the site, which was attended by Catholic and non-Catholic members. The statue, its sponsors declared, would offer a way for all who traveled the waters and viewed her to give thanks to the almighty for safety during the year. Comment at the time, according to published accounts, was made of how the men who raised the statue did their work without regard to their own religious denominations, focused instead on the bigger, broader message the statue might convey. She has been called by several names, most published accounts at the time have said her name was “Our Lady of the Sea.” It was the sea that nearly took her, when the waters drew too close within just a few years and the land disintegrated beneath the pyramid, so plans were made for the statue to be moved. The move came in 1967, after the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company gave permission for land it owned to be used for the statue, on the narrowing island’s

interior. Club members sweated and strained, using draglines and brute strength, rescuing the sculpture, with a series of pilings as her perch. Then in 1982 a move was required again. This time, on a narrow spit of land thought secure enough, the statue was raised on a piling almost 60 feet high. By that time two, and in some cases three generations of Whiskey Pass asso-ciation families had assisted in protect-ing the lady who protected. Arlen Cenac and his son, Benny, of Cenac Towing in Houma, were among those who played an active role in the actual transport. Indeed it was Arlen who had flown the Rev. Caillouet out to Last Island for the very first mass celebrated in the statue’s honor. In 2014 club members came to a dis-tressing conclusion. The statue would be safe nowhere on Last Island; an inland move would be required. But where could she stay?

More Helping HandsThe members wanted a spot where the function she had done for so long could still be accomplished, serving as a beacon of faith, and observed for purposes of thanks, by as many who travel the water as possible. The aid of Conoco-Phillips, corporate heir to LL&E, was sought by the association. A corner of land abutting the junction of Bayou Petit Caillou and the Houma Navigation Canal – 16 miles north of where the statue had been – was considered. But an agreement could not be made. Houma attorney Jerri Smitko and seafood dock owner Roxanne Sevin came to Our Lady of the Sea’s rescue, offer-ing a spot on land they own across from Sevin’s RCP Seafood, adjacent to the desired Conoco property. For those who look sharp, Our Lady of the Sea is now visible from the terminus of La. Highway 56, watching over waters routinely traveled by sport fishing boats, shrimping vessels, offshore oilfield boats and ships.

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Arlen and Benny Cenac had lent their resources yet again, as did Dupre Brothers Construction. The Cenacs carried the statue from her former location on a barge to the mainland, and she was then restored and cleaned by experts. It was a delicate job, made necessary due to the effects of salt on Carrara and what appeared to be unfor-tunate scars from errant pellets of shot to her feet. Dupre Brothers then floated the statue on a spud barge to her new home, drove a 40-foot piling into alluvial clay for a base – with 15 feet remaining above ground – and then lifted the statue, encased within a protective arma-ture, using a 50-ton crane on May 12. “We were happy to help, it is something we wanted to do,” Dupre Brothers operations manager Kevin Parfait says.

Stars Lining UpOn June 7, the Sunday that marked the last day of this year’s Whiskey Pass Silver King Rodeo Association rodeo, members gathered at the RCP Seafood dock with the Very Rev. Robert Rogers for a special blessing. “We pray that those who travel on the water will be safe from all harm, especially from weather and bad storms, that their property be protected and lives protected,” Rogers says. The priest boarded Chuck Weaver Jr.’s 25-foot fishing boat and traveled the width of Bayou Petit Caillou, aspergillum in hand, and sprinkled holy water as the vessel bobbed on gentle ripples of waves, offering more prayers. Rogers called the statue “Star of the Sea,” a tribute to the way mariners once used stars to guide them on the planet’s vast rolling waters. Among those on the boat were Jerri and Roxanne, as well as members of Chuck’s family. “I have been seeing that statue all my life when I have been out on the water, so this is so very special to me,” Jerri says. “She was always there and now to have her here is a great honor.” Accompanying Chuck were his mother, Liz Bass, his wife, Kelly and their two sons, 14-year-old Jules and 12-year-old James. “It was an unbelievably fulfilling moment,” Chuck says. “There was a connection between the grandfather I never knew, my father of course and then my children, being right there. To feel that unity, knowing that something has been done, it was like the stars lining up.” Our Lady of the Sea – or Our Lady of the Stars – had her back to the admirers when the prayers were said at the seafood dock. But that, Rev. Rogers noted, was in all ways appropriate, because she faces to the south, the direction of the wind and the rain and of those she will protect, whether from this new home or wherever the children of those gathered last month will take her next. POV

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80 POINT OF VUE EXPERT VUE JULY 2015

At Home Food Marketing

Debbie Melvin, M.S., C.F.C.S., is a former extension agent for the LSU AgCenter. She specializes in nutrition. [email protected]

DEBBIE MELVIN

LIVINGWELL

There is a psychological factor in eating healthy. The more we recognize and manage the subtle and not-so-subtle cues in

our environment, the more control we have over our habits and food choices … almost subconsciously. Then we don’t have to tell ourselves we have no self-control or willpower, which is negative self-talk that sabotages our best efforts. Instead, we set up our environment for success. For most people, their main environment is their kitchen. It goes without saying that planning meals and snacks in advance is important, but how are those foods “marketed” in your kitchen? Most of our eating is out of habit, so applying mind trickery can work in our favor. Brian Wansink is a professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University, where he directs the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. He also served in a White House appointment as executive director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Do a search on his name and you will find videos of his projects observing human food behavior. What can we learn from Brian’s experiments and what can we apply with our families?

• If you don’t have it in your home, you won’t eat it.

• Walk into your kitchen and look objectively at what you see. Are there clear candy and cookie jars on the countertops? Visible food is a continuous reminder and is most likely to be selected first. Make sure what you want to eat, like fresh fruit, is in a prominent place.

• Ever forget the lettuce or peaches you bought, and you don’t notice them until they are decayed? Trigger the visual cue to eat healthier foods by rearranging your refrigerator. If your freezer is on the top, and the fruit and veggie bins are at your knees, don’t keep produce hidden. Instead, place ready-to-eat cut fruits and vegetables in clear containers with lids in your refrigerator, in an up-front, eye-level location.

• Pre-portioned packaged items come at a price. If affordable for you, they can be a good way to avoid mindless eating, especially of healthy, but high calorie foods, like nuts. Buy some clear plas-tic snack bags and count out servings. Five whole almonds, five pretzel knots and a tablespoon of raisins are a 100-calorie, filling

snack. Microwavable popcorn in the 100-calorie pack is also a good way to control the portion.

• Large containers mean larger servings. If you buy large amounts, it will be consumed faster. Though difficult to find in today’s culture, smaller plates, no larger than 9 inches in diameter, can translate into fewer calories, since people tend to finish what they put on their plate. People tell me the “eating surface” of their large plates is working for them, but the illusion of a small amount of food on a larger surface is not correct psychology. This same advice carries over to glasses. You will drink less from a tall glass than a glass that is wider. The taller glass gives the illusion of having more. Also, a wide, shallow bowl gives the illusion of more than a deep bowl. Think gumbo here.

• Eat meals and snacks in the kitchen or dining area. For example, if we get in the habit of eating while watching TV, when we watch TV we will want to eat. If we eat by hand from a large package, we will eat more than if the food was portioned too. More mindless eating, even if it is grapes.

• When putting away leftovers, it is best to put them away in meal-size portions. I like the freezer-safe, microwav-able divided plates. Also, single-serving containers can be frozen for a quick meal to take to work. Cooked dry beans freeze and reheat well. Make sure these items are in a visible location in your freezer as well.

The summer is so unpredictable when it comes to eating because we are less structured and more relaxed. We need all the psychology and tricks we can muster, especially if we have kids. By the time school starts, we may all need to have our heads examined anyway. POV

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Andrew Jackson was known as the “Hero of New Orleans” due

to his incredible defeat of the Brit-ish in New Orleans during the War of 1812, in which he banded together locals, pirates, slaves and free people of color to fight off nearly twice as many invading British soldiers, while sustaining half as many casualties by the battle’s end. The instant fame pro-duced from this victory helped propel Jackson to the U.S. Presidency in 1828, where he became known as the first “modern” president, a representative of the people rather than a strictly executive figure. However, Jackson’s legacy would be marred by his harsh and divisive Indian removal policies; he is now as well known as the driv-ing force behind the “Trail of Tears” as he is for his military and presidential success.

Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab BY STEVE INSKEEP

Brigid Laborie is a branch librarian at North Terrebonne Branch Library. MYTPL.ORG

BRIGID LABORIE

CHECKIT OUT

In “Jacksonland,” journalist and NPR host Steve Ins-keep describes how Jackson used his fame and power to manipulate Native Americans into selling at bargain prices and sometimes giving up their land. Alternately, Inskeep tells the story of the largely forgotten but hugely influential Cherokee chief John Ross, a mixed-race Cherokee diplomat and former ally of Jackson, who used the United States’ own legal system to quietly but surely fight against Jackson’s encroachment into Na-tive lands. The book is well researched and references many private letters, as well as official documents, to illustrate how Jackson expanded his own empire, then took the same ruthless initiative to expand the American South as president. “Jacksonland” avoids dwelling on moral judgements, but instead focuses on the strategy that Jackson employed to lay claim to tens of millions of acres of Native lands – and the extraordinary, never before-seen legal battle that John Ross and his allies used to fight against him. POV

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Dwayne Andras is a home brewer and self-taught beer expert in continuous search of the perfect pint. Chat with him about your favorite brew at [email protected].

DWAYNE ANDRAS

BEHINDTHE BREW

Four Simple Ingredients

Take a trip to your local supermarket or corner pub and you cannot help but notice the large amount of beer

choices available. It can be a bit overwhelming to someone just stepping out of the traditional 12-pack and into the world of craft beer, but it can be a very satisfying journey into a growing industry. There are IPAs, stouts, porters, fruit beer, pilsners, Hefewei-zens and many others! The Beer Judge Certification Program has 23 main categories with multiple subcategories in each. Despite all these different choices it all goes back to four com-mon ingredients. What separates the beers and brewers is the science and art behind combining these simple ingredients.

WATER is one of the most overlooked and under appreciated components of beer. Most of what you are drinking – 90.95 percent – is water, not to mention the large amounts of water used throughout the brewing process. The pH and min-eral content of the water play an important role in each style of beer. Czech Pilsners are a classic example of the water of the area defining the style.

MALTED BARLEY is the barley plant’s seeds, which are allowed to start spouting. This germination allows the seed to convert its starches to fermentable sugars that will ultimately be converted to produce the alcohol of the beer. In order to stop the germination process, the barley is dried and roasted to a temperature of 122 to 220 degrees. The amount and types of malted barley used in the grain build of the beer will dictate much of the flavor, mouth feel, color, aroma and alcohol content.

HOPS are the flower bud of a plant from the cannabis family. There are multiple varieties with varied characteristics among the three main classes of hops: Noble, European and American. Hops are used to add to the flavor of the beer by contributing bitterness to balance the sweetness of the malted barley. They also add aroma to the beer. Hops are a relatively new addition to beer considering the lineage of beer can be traced back more than 5,000 years to the Egyptians. The first documented use of hops was in 822 AD with the recipes of the Benedictine Monks.

YEAST is a living microorganism that is the “magic” that converts the fermentable sugars to alcohol giving off the by-products of heat and carbon dioxide. Yeast has always been a component of beer, but it was not fully understood until the 19th century when Louis Pasteur discovered its role in fermen-tation. There are two basic yeast categories used in brewing beer: Ales and Lager yeast.

Hard to believe four simple ingredients in every pint of beer can be used to create such a variety of flavors. Next time you drink a pint, consider the ingredients. Think about what makes that style unique and the talents of the brewers that are able to create such great beers with consistency. Cheers to water, malted barley, hops and yeast ... if not for those four ingredients you would be reading a column titled, “Behind the Milk.”POV

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This month we will review a few zinfandels, the perfect wine for

outdoor grilling and other summer outdoor activities. Zinfandel’s easy drinking and relatively light tannins make it more palatable than most reds during summer. It’s zesty, spicy flavors also make it a great pair for most things from the grill. Here are a few current selections at Cannatas.

Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel 2012 $41.99This fuller bodied zesty zin hits high marks for its great flavor and balance. The wine is rich and zesty with aro-mas of briary berries and spice. These flavors mix on the palate with lots of cherry and cracked black pepper that sail on to a lively, long finish. A superb zinfandel to drink now or age nicely over the next 5 - 7 years. Also try the regular Sonoma bottling from Seghesio. The 2013 vintage is a super value at $19.99 and rated 92 points. WINE SPECTATOR RATING – 93

Bedrock Zinfandel Old Vines 2013 $24.99Bedrock is back with a new vintage and, as usual, it is ripe, juicy and delicious. The 2013 has sage and pep-per aromas that mix with anise and cracked pepper (zinfandel’s calling card, so to speak) on the palate.

Zinfandels Ideal for Summer

Lane Bates is the wine and spirits specialist at Cannata’s.Feelfreetovisithimtofin outmore. 985.209.9762

[email protected]

LANE BATES

A VUE FROMTHE VINE

This wine is full but easy drinking and the harmoni-ous flavors sail on and on to the finish. Drink it now or over the next 5 - 7 years. Bedrock is a newer winery but they make many zins and blends, and you wont find a bad wine among the bunch.WINE SPECTATOR RATING – 91

Dry Creek Heritage Vines Sonoma County 2013 $15.99Another of the perennial great Sonoma zinfandel producers never ceases to amaze with the quality of its entry-level zin. This tasty, zesty zin is loaded with flavor in the form of wild berry, sage and pepper. The wine has nice weight and balance and finishes with ripe, layered tannins. It is another ready-to-drink zin that will also age well for the next 5-7 years. With the escalating prices of so many red wines, this selection remains a remarkable value. POVWINE SPECTATOR RATING – 90

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Vanilla Bean Affogato Topped with Crushed Pistachios

JULEY LE

BONAPPÉTIT

If there’s any dessert I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be affogato. Whoever first thought about

topping creamy gelato or ice cream with a shot of espresso was a genius because affogato ends every meal on a clean note without taking things overboard. We don’t have cookies or cakes hanging around the apartment, but ice cream? Ice cream is abundant. Because I don’t have an espresso maker, I usually have to bolt to the coffee shop to buy a shot of espresso, but one day my nifty Vietnamese espresso press/filter stood out as a perfect companion to a single-serving affogato. And then, I had some crushed pistachios and discovered the magic that happens when I let my kitchen guide creations.

HOW TO MAKE IT

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

FrenchMarketCoffe darkroastgroundcoffe (one single serve cup or 3 t.)

Vanilla bean ice creamHandful of shelled, roasted & salted pistachiosVietnamesefilte setorcoffe maker

Houma native Juley Le runs the blog, Upperlyne & Co., an online source for a classic, casual cool approach to style and living. She is also the creative director for Houston-based lifestyle store, Montrose Shop.

If using the Vietnamese press, add three tablespoons ground coffee into the filter or one single-serving pack. Fill with water and let filter for 5 minutes. Otherwise, make coffee with your coffee maker as usual. Place pistachios in a bowl and using a heavy bottle or spoon, crush the pistachios until you get crumbly pieces. Other ideas: use the trusty mortar and pestle or a rolling pin. Scoop vanilla bean ice cream into a dish, pour over coffee and top with crushed pistachios. POV

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Lane Mack

H idden among the legions of videos uploaded to the online streaming god known as YouTube is amateur footage of Lafayette native Lane Mack picking

his resonator guitar to the tune of “Hell on My Backside” on a wooden porch in Houma. He stomps his boots to keep time and howls “ain’t no man gonna stop me” with enough conviction to warrant an “amen” from the nearest congregation. Mack’s earthy tone carries the resonator’s swampy riffs effortlessly, like a steam engine hauling away the day’s cotton pickings. Having cofounded Sons of VooDoo and shared the stage with heavy hitters like Marc Broussard and Robert Randolph, Mack knows how much octane is needed to power a track from mundane to derrière-shaker. On his first self-titled EP, he lays down seven tracks that run the gamut from Big Easy-infused Delta blues to zydeco, with a cameo by Baby Bee tossed in to keep the bayou funk alive and well. Take a swig of what you’re drinking during the slow-burners, ‘cause you’ll need the boost once Mack’s resonator cranks back up.

CHECK ’EM OUT

Visit YOUTUBE and search “One Take Sessions | Lane Mack” to watch Mack rock a front porch in Houma.

TERRY TRAHAN JR.

UNDERGROUNDSOUND

HoundmouthMumford & Sons must have made quite an impression. Grassroots bands celebrating the folk-rock renaissance have popped up on this side of the pond like wildflowers just seeking to be noticed. Like the wildflowers that paint fields of gold, the guys and gal of Houndmouth are worthy of being picked. Their latest single, “Sedona,” will introduce you to a “Saturday night kind of pink.” Curious, eh? POV

LISTEN:“Sedona”

Ryley WalkerThe instrumental intro to Chicago-bred singer-songwriter Ryley Walker’s “Primrose Green” would find good company on any of Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts records. While this airy theme continues throughout the ‘70s-inspired track, Walker’s voice ushers in a little folk and adds just enough weight to keep the jazzier moments exciting. Don’t be mistaken, this is not cartoonish music; it is, however, brilliant.

LISTEN:“The West Wind”

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88 POINT OF VUE REAR VUE JULY 2015

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Robert Frost, and Matt Damon all dropped out of what Ivy League school:

[A] Harvard University[B] Dartmouth College[C] Princeton University[D] Brown University

The members of Pink Floyd all graduated with what college degree:

[A] Political Science[B] Music Education[C] Architecture[D] History

When Warner/Chappell Music purchased the company that owned the rights to “Happy Birthday to You” in 1988, the song was valued at roughly:

[A] $100 million[B] $2 billion

[C] $150 million[D] $5 million

The space between your fore fingers and thumb is called:

[A] Axilla[B] Purlicue[C] Philtrum[D] Nares

The indention at the bottom of a wine bottle is called a:

[A] Phosphene[B] Snood[C] Barm[D] Punt

A pint-sized Bruno Mars played what role in “Honeymoon in Vegas”:

[A] Elvis impersonator[B] Waiter[C] Ticket collector[D] Bellhop

Houston Astros baseball player and notorious foodie Charlie Kerfeld’s 1987 contract included 37 boxes of what snack food:

[A] Oreos[B] Instant Pudding[C] Orange Jell-O[D] Cheese-It

Because so many players were serving in World War II during 1943, the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merged to form:

[A] The All-Americans[B] The Tornadoes[C] The Steagles[D] The Generals

3 4

1 2

5 6

7 8

NO GOOGLING!

SMARTYPANTS

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1)B 2)D 3)C 4)D 5)A 6)C 7)A 8)C 9)D 10)A 11)D 12)A 13)B 14)D 15)A

What man who later became U.S. President represented the U.S. soldiers who were on trial for the Boston Massacre?

[A] ThomasJefferso[B] James Madison[C] Martin Van Buren[D] John Adams

Which toy store, famous for its cameo in the movie, “Big,” will shut the doors to its flagship location this month after 145 years?

[A] Toys “R” Us[B] KB Toys[C] Magic Box Toys[D] FAO Schwarz

The voices behind which cartoon couple were married in real life?

[A] Minnie and Mickey Mouse[B] Peter Pan and Wendy[C] Fred and Wilma Flinstone[D] Aladdin and Jasmine

Who made the most appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, which aired its final show in May 2015?

[A] Regis Philbin[B] Tom Brokaw[C] Jack Hanna[D] Bruce Willis

Play-Doh, sold in a last-ditch effort to save soap company, Kutol, was originally marketed as what:

[A] A toy[B] Adhesive[C] Pottery material[D] Wallpaper cleaner

The Strait of Magellan runs through the southern tip of what continent?

[A] Europe[B] South America[C] Australia[D] Russia

What is the collective name for pugs?

[A] Grumble[B] Husk[C] Army[D] Gang

Well, How’d You Do?

# CORRECT IQ YOUR PANTSYNESS:

11-15 160 PANTS ON FIRE

6-10 110 SMARTY PANTS

1-5 50 PANTS ON THE GROUND

0 3 DID YOU FORGET YOUR PANTS?

ANSWERS15

13

11

14

12

109

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Nothing is more southern than a sip of sweet tea served up in a old-fashioned Mason jar. But the iconic container’s

origins actually have roots in New York, a place that eventually became a springboard for the canning revolution. In 1812, American engraver Thomas Kensett established the first airtight sealed canning factory in The Empire State, but quickly moved to producing tin cans, which were much more affordable. In 1856, John Landis Mason came on the scene, imagining a glass jar that could effectively store any perishable item at a time when salting or drying were the only proven ways of saving food long-term. The jar ’s design featured a threaded cap to cover the opening, making the parts reusable, an extreme upgrade from previous wire and wax contraptions that often did not keep food fresh. By 1869, a removable rubber ring was added to the design, further increasing the container’s airtight quality. Although the product was met with later success, Mason died before he could see the clamoring for his now beloved product unfold. With the market wide open, brothers Edmund, Frank, George, Lucius and William Ball set out to take a crack at the container business, quickly expanding their wood and tin enterprises to include a glass jar, one that is now synonymous with Mason’s original design. The addition of glass to the business forced the company to relocate in 1987 from New York to Muncie, Indiana, where

workers could take advantage of the abundant natural gas reserves essential to creating the product. Conveyor belts soon cranked out aqua blue-hued containers emblazoned with “Ball Perfect Mason” on the front and business boomed. Ball’s competitor, Alexander H. Kerr, took the design a step further in 1915 by adding a flat metal disk with an attached gasket that could be separated from Mason’s metal ring. Removing the ring prevented bacteria and moisture from compromising the seal and spoiling the jar ’s contents, setting a precedent for today’s models. With the onset of World War II in 1939, Ball and Kerr jars were snatched up by American housewives who stored hun-dreds of the half-pint, pint, quart and half-gallon containers filled with everything from fruit jams to pickled veggies in basements as provisions. Produce grown in victory gardens, a government effort to preserve food sold in stores for military, generated an unprecedented interest in canning and preserving with some 3 million jars bought during the war’s six years. The invention of the refrigerator in the 1950s put an end to canning out of necessity, subsequently affecting the glass jar business. Today, Mason’s one-of-a-kind idea is finding new life as a vintage prop, used for everything from vases to pencil holders. Jars from the original productions are still around, popping up in antique shops and thrift stores with the oldest raking in upward of $10,000. Reproductions now line shelves as a nod to a simpler time in America’s history. POV

MELISSA DUET

BON ÉTOFFE

Preserving a LegacyThe wonder of imagination is this: It has the power to light its own fi e.– JOHN LANDIS MASON

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Independence Day CelebrationSATURDAY, JULY 4, 11 A.M. - 10 P.M.

WHERE: Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, HoumaDETAILS: Terrebonne Patriots Inc. sponsor this annual all-day event, which kicks off at 11 a.m. with a memorial at Veterans Park. At 1 p.m., a parade will begin at Stadium Drive and from 3 - 10 p.m., food, music, games and more will be available at the civic center. The Houma-Terrebonne Community Band, Southern Cross, the Marine Corps Band and others will entertain crowds throughout the event. The evening is capped off with a fireworks display at 9 p.m.

Children’s Summer Art CampJULY 6 - 10, 13 - 17, 10 A.M. - 3:30 P.M.

WHERE: Downtown Art Gallery 630, HoumaDETAILS: Children will learn the fundamental elements of creating art with a variety of medi-ums at these week-long art camps. Registration is $25 per week and classes are taught by TFAG members, focusing on watercolor, pottery and similar arts.

Summer Fun Kids DaySATURDAY, JULY 18, 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.

WHERE: Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, HoumaDETAILS: Kids can explore, learn and play at the largest and longest running indoor children’s festival in the area. Children will be able to explore the Discovery Den, Marketplace, Safety Square, Wellness Way and Clifford the Big Red Dog will also be on hand throughout the day. Admission is $3 for those 1 -12 and $5 for those 13 and older.

Baby Bee Rock CampJULY 14 - 18

WHERE: 719 School Street, HoumaDETAILS: Rock out with Baby Bee members Joe and David Stark at this week-long camp designed for kids ages 5 - 15. Learn to play a musical instrument, sing and form a band. No experience or equipment necessary. Participants ages 5 - 6 will attend from 9 - 11 a.m., those 7 - 9 will attend from 1 - 3 p.m. and those 10 - 15 will attend from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Registration is $150 and camp will be held two hours per day for four days. A concert will be held on the final day of camp.

2015 Bayou BBQ BashJULY 24 - 25

WHERE: Under the U.S. Highway 90 Bridge, Morgan CityDETAILS: Teams will serve up their best chicken, pork spare ribs or brisket for a chance to win it all at this 4th annual event. Teams may compete as a local St. Mary Parish Team, Corporate Team or Competitive Cooking Team. Participants must cook all three meats to be eligible for Grand Champion. A Kids Q will also be held, in which participants through age 17 will cook pork chops or chicken legs. The event will also feature a craft show and live music, which begins at 6 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Downtown Live After 5FRIDAY, JULY 31, 5:30 P.M.

WHERE: Courthouse Square, HoumaDETAILS: Dance the night away at this free, monthly event. Music will be provided by Soulful Sounds. The opening act begins at 5:30 p.m. and the main event begins at 7 p.m. POV

RENDEZVOUS

NewslettersReceive additional content and weekly events when you sign up. SCAN HERE:

Want us to include your event in our calendar? Shoot an email to [email protected] and we’ll help spread the word.

HOUMAINDEPENDENCECELEBRATION.COM

985.873.6408

985.637.0156

985.851.2198

HOUMACIVICCENTER.COM/KIDSDAY

985.850.4657

[email protected]

STMARYCHAMBER.COM, 985.384.3830

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A Shannon Leonard, director of hospital operations, Marcus Montet, NP, John Altamirano, NP, and David Konur, CEO, from Cardiovascular Institute of the South, participated in the Lafay-ette General Health Foundation Golf Tournament, held June 8 at Lafayette’s Oakborne Country Club.

B Fishermen cast a line in support of South Central Louisiana Technical College at the college’s Hooked on Education Bass Fishing Tournament held May 16 at Doiron’s Landing in Morgan City.

C St. Genevieve Elementary School fourth graders collected 37 pounds of green beans as part of an end-of-the-school-year project at the St. Francis Vegetable Garden in Thibodaux.

D Wetlands Explorer Summer Camp participants explored Mandalay Trail, beautified the Chauvin Sculpture Garden and learned about fish from Nicholls State University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Gary LaFleur Jr. during the week-long camp held June 8 - 12.

E Hail Mary Rescue hosted its 2nd Annual Who Let the Dogs Out Fundraiser on May 30 at The Foundry on the Bayou in support of the organization’s shelter animal rescue efforts. POV

SCENE IN

E

B

Taking in the scene around town?

#POVPICKMEyour interesting, cute, fun pics and we might feature you in PoV’s Scene In!

Don’t forget to include the who, what, when, where, and why and a daytime contact number.

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A

C

D

D

E

B

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ADVERTISER PAGE

Coburn’s Kitchen & Bath Showroom ............ 45CoCo Marina ................................................. 29Courtyard Marriott ........................................ 33Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel ....................... 3Deep South Oil & Vinegar ............................. 96Dermatology Clinic, The ................................ 15Designs by Two ............................................. 17Digestive Health Center ................................ 77Dishman Flooring Center .............................. 13Divinity Home Health Services ...................... 19Donner-Peltier Distillers ................................. 25Downtown Houma Market ............................ 49Ellender Orthodontics ................................... 13Emile’s Furniture and Appliances .................. 23Evolution Marine ........................................... 92Farm Bureau ................................................. 17Felger’s Footwear ................................... 29, 56G.D.C. Programs ........................................... 96Gold’n Gifts & Bridal Boutique ...................... 91Ground Pat’i Grill & Bar, The ......................... 45Haydel Spine, Pain & Wellness ...................... 87Headache and Pain Center ........................... 66Heavenly Scent ............................................. 63Heidi Broudreaux .......................................... 33Houma Digestive Health ................................. 5Houma OB-GYN Clinic ................................. 23Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center ................... 81Houma-Thibodaux Spine & Rehabilitation ....... 7Iberiabank & Mortgage ................................... 9Jones Dermatology ......................................... 9Just for You Flower & Gift Shoppe ................ 73La Carreta Mexican Cuisine .......................... 47La Chique Maison ......................................... 19Lil’ Sweet Pea’s Boutique ............................. 25Live 4 Sports ................................................. 61Louis Mohana Furniture ................................ 15

Made in the Shade ........................................ 49Marie’s Wrecker Service ............................... 67Mitchell Family Eye Care ................................. 9Neuroscience and Pain Center ..................... 47NORTH PARK Subdivision .............................. 5Old Estate Art Gallery ................................... 13Pour Moi ....................................................... 73Powerhouse Gym ......................................... 63Premier OB-GYN .......................................... 52Robert’s Painting .......................................... 45Royal Room, The ............................................ 9Salty Dog Vapor ............................................ 93Sam’s Audio .............................................34-37Sandy Brooks ............................................... 88South Louisiana Bank ................................... 31South Louisiana Financial Services ............... 49Southland Dodge ............................................ 7Southland Mall ............................................ 100St. Matthew’s Episcopal School ................... 47State Farm (Carreker, Brue, Bednarz) ........... 39StireOfficeWorld .......................................... 79Supreme Ornamental .................................... 79Synergy Bank ............................................... 97Terminix ........................................................ 85Terrebonne Allstate Group ............................ 99Thibodaux Regional Medical Center ............. 57Thieler Orthodontics ..................................... 89Trapp Cadillac Chevrolet ............................... 19Valley Supply ................................................. 25Vintage Company, The .................................. 45V. S. LLC Tree Trimming & Removal .............. 33Waggin’ Tails ................................................. 77Wishing Well, The.......................................... 77Workout Co., The .......................................... 55

A&G Refrigeration ......................................... 91A&H Paint...................................................... 39Aaron Pools .................................................. 85Acadian Total Security .................................. 71Advanced Eye Institute.................................. 93All Event Rentals ............................................. 5Allstate - Brian Mustin ................................... 91Ameriprise Financial. ..................................... 33Ashley Furniture Homestore .......................... 87AVA Solutions, Inc. ........................................ 38Bar Roussell .................................................. 67Basketry, The ................................................ 93Barker Buick GMC ........................................ 39Barker Honda ............................................... 73Bayou Black Electric Supply ......................... 91Bayou Playhouse .......................................... 17Beasley Pest Control..................................... 23Belle Visage Skincare ................................... 23Blanchard’s Refrigeration .............................. 49Bueche’s Jewelry .......................................... 71Budget Blinds ............................................... 31Cannata’s .................................................. 4, 77Cardiovascular Institute of the South ............ 71Carmouche Insurance .................................. 85cars985.com ................................................... 2Chackbay Nursery ........................................ 73Chateau Terrebonne ..................................... 15Cindy Price ................................................... 83Classic Cupboards ....................................... 87Clearwater Pools ........................................... 43Coastal Home Builders ................................. 67

ADVERTISERS’INDEX

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POVHOUMA.COM 97

Courtesy ofWin a $50 Gift Card

Findthesixdiffe encesinthisphotofromthecoverofourpremiereissue.Dropoffyour answers along with your name and daytime contact number at the PoVoffice 6160W.ParkAve., Houma.Stuckattheoffic Faxit,985.873.9009,oremailittous,[email protected]. A winner will be picked by random drawing JULY 16. The winner will receive a $50 Visa® gift card courtesy of Synergy Bank.

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THE FINALCOUNTDOWN

7 reasons Mark Twain reigns as the Great American Novelist

Thank You, Cpt. SellersTwain lifted his pen name from his former boss who signed many of his writings with the riverboat term, meant to refer to the water depth it was safe to operate in.

It seems fitting that the little town of Hannibal, Missouri, celebrates hometown boy, Samuel Clemens, better known

as Mark Twain, on the most American holiday of them all: July 4. Twain, known as the Father of American Literature, relocated there when he was just four and the town became a backdrop

for some of his most famous works. These days, the town recre-ates iconic events from the stories, like fence painting and frog jumping, in a weekend-long event to honor the writer, who relied heavily on his childhood adventures to create classic American tales.

Going Out in StyleHalley’s Comet was visible the night Twain was born and passed away.

The Miracle WorkerAfter seeing her work, Twain gave Helen Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, her nickname.

Like the Back of His HandDuring his time as a riverboat pilot, he memorized more than 2,000 miles of the Mississippi.

Making an EntranceHetestifie beforeCongressaboutcopyrightlawdonning a white suit, a nod to his unconventional style.

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Feline FrenzyWhen the cat lover lost his beloved Bambino, he took out an ad in the New York American offerin a$5rewardforits return.

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Remember That?Although his stories were bestsellers, Twain’s board game, “Memory-Builder,” meant to help people retain important dates and looked much like “Candy Land,” failed miserably. POV

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