September 25, 201402 Vol. 6 • No. 13

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September 25, 2014 • Volume 6 • Issue 13

715 Kirby St.Lake Charles, LA 70601Phone: 337-436-7800Fax: 337-990-0262www.thejambalayanews.com

Publisher/Executive EditorLauren de Albuquerquelauren@thejambalayanews.com

ContributorsNicole Shuff ArabieDan EllenderJulie Ann FayBraylin JenkinsMike McHughRoger MillerBritney Blanchette PitreMary Louise RuehrJody TaylorKarla TullosDavid Yantis

Salessales@louisianajam.com

Assistant EditorCalvin Tyler

GraphicsArt/Production DirectorBurn Rourk

BusinessOffi ce ManagerJeanie Taggart

Legal Disclaimer

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

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

COVER STORY23 The SEED Center: One Year Later

REGULARS4 We Are SWLA!6 The Dang Yankee6 Adoption Corner7 A Ruff Life8 Huntin’ Tales10 Soul Matters11 Stir Dat Pot

FEATURES12 Laura Waldmeier: Breast Cancer Survivor

14 Tips for Patients Undergoing Chemo

16 Be a Survivor, Get Familiar

18 Breast Cancer: What You Should Know

THE SPICE OF SWLA26 Lake Charles Film & Music Festival

28 Event Guide

30 Chaos Theory31 Family Fun Night at the Movies32 Red Hot Books34 Luna Celebrates 10 Years36 Who’s Who at Chuck Fest?38 Nightlife Guide4 1 Lake City Beat!43 No-Name Vinyl44 Fall Event Guide45 Funbolaya46 Society Spice

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On cover: The SEED Center

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September 25, 2014 03Vol. 6 • No. 13

I just got off the phone with my friend Karen from Boston. She’s going to Italy next month for two amazing weeks: Rome, Florence and four days at a spa in Tuscany. Sigh! And she’s fly-ing on Alitalia Airlines. I’m so glad they’re still around. Direct flight to Rome. I remember it well.

We lived right next to Logan Airport, where the jets rat-tled our windows and spewed fumes over our houses. But that didn’t bother me, because airplanes meant escape. A way out of East Boston. Someplace Else. As a child, I would stand on our back porch with a note-book and actually write down the names of all the airlines as the planes came in for their noisy landings. An Alitalia sighting would make me de-lirious with joy. A connection to the Motherland.

I spent a month in Italy when I was nine years old, and it was an unforgettable experi-ence for a child. I drank coffee and wine and ate caviar with my sophisticated relatives and stayed up past midnight every night, teaching my cousins

English words while they reciprocated with Italian. My mother and I had our hair cut and styled at an exclusive salon in Rome for a wedding we attended in the Villa Borgh-ese Gardens. More caviar and champagne and designer clothes and sheer elegance.

My father gave up that world when he met my moth-er. They met in Italy; she took a trip there in 1954 to visit her relatives, and my father was one of them. It was love at first sight. But she couldn’t leave her family and move across the ocean. She should have. My father, an accountant, had a great job. A housekeeper would have taken care of her home and children. She would have learned Italian at her lei-sure. There would be month-long summer vacations on the Riviera and skiing in the Alps. Outrageously wonderful food. The standard of living there was so much higher. On top of it all, my father’s parents were ailing at the time. He needed to be in Italy. HAD to be in Italy. But she wouldn’t budge.

So, he gave all that up for

her. That’s true love. He had to come to a new country where he didn’t know the language and try to find a job, and spend the rest of his life on the top floor of this dreadful three-decker in a blue-collar neighborhood. What a come-down. During my first trip to Rome, I looked at my mother as if she had three heads. “You gave all this up?” I asked in astonishment. “How could you do that?”

She smiled wistfully. “I couldn’t leave my family and all of my friends,” she said. “I couldn’t leave the United States.”

“But look at how we could have lived!” I said. I remember making a sweeping gesture at the apartment we were in. I use the word “apartment” loosely, because everyone lived in apartments that had ten rooms and marble floors and terraces. Think of Vivien Leigh’s apartment in the movie The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone.

I then ran to my father. “Why couldn’t you make her move here?” I wailed. “Well, I tried…” he said.

I ran back to my mother. “You made a mistake!” I told her. This made her play the how-wonderful-we-have-it-in-America card, ending with, “Just think! You would never have known Karen or Richard or your aunts and uncles! All of your friends! Can you imag-ine that?”

Well, no, I couldn’t. And that calmed me down a bit.

But through the years, I have always wondered what life would have been like if I had been born and raised in Rome. Who would I have become? How would I have ended up? I know one thing: I never would be here in Lake Charles. And that’s reason enough to thank my mother for standing firm. And for my father for loving her enough to make that sacrifice.

A Note From Lauren

Lauren de Albuquerque

Roman Holiday

September 25, 201404 Vol. 6 • No. 13

SOWELA Sets Enrollment RecordSOWELA Technical Community College has set another en-

rollment record. With almost 3,500 students enrolled, including 548 dual enrollment high school students, the 2014 fall semester represents a 33 percent growth from fall of 2010 and is the highest enrollment in school history. The spring semester for 2014 was a 70 percent increase over spring of 2010.

Local Law Firm Donates to Wounded WarriorsLee Hoffoss and Claude “T-Claude” Devall, attorneys with

Hoffoss Devall Law Firm in Lake Charles, recently donated several cases of shotgun shells to the Wounded Warrior Project. The group, who’s mission is to honor and empower injured service members, will use the shells during dove and duck seasons during hunts coor-dinated by the organization for recovering veterans this year.

Arts Council Board President, Members AppointedThe board of directors of the Arts Council of SWLA appointed

James Babin as its 2014-2015 Board President, Babin, who has served on the board since 2011, is the General Operations Man-ager of ASI Office Systems and serves on the Fusion Five board of directors. The board also approved a new slate of executive com-mittee members, including Shonda Manuel of Healthy Image Marketing as First Vice President, Chuck O’Connor of St. Patrick Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network as Second Vice President, Carma Manns as Treasurer, and Rachel Hungerford of the Calcasieu Parish School System as Secretary. Nine new board members were approved, including Nick Villaume, Dev Depart-

ment, Sofia Simancas, FOX 29/the CW, William Moore, IBERIABANK, John C. “Chuck” Ehlers, Knight Media Printing, Thom Trahan, Brimstone Historical Society, Oran Parker, Parker Brand Creative, Amos Orr, Lake Charles/SWLA CVB, Tyler Walker, Walker Williams, and Heather Hidalgo-LaFleur, St. Patrick Hospital.

Key Management Promotions at L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles

L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles announces the promotions of Michael Pendergast to Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Finance, and Randy Peterson to Vice President of Casino Operations pending regulatory approval. Pender-gast previously served as VP of Resort Operations at L’Auberge, joining the company in September 2012. He previ-ously held leadership positions with

Caesars Entertainment at various properties. Peterson has been promoted from Director of Slot Performance to VP of Casino Operations. He joined L’Auberge in October 2010 to man-age slot performance and technical operations. He previously held various management posi-tions at Grand Casino Hinckley in Hinckley, Minnesota and also the former Grand Casino in Tunica, MS.

SLIC Presents Plaque to Kohl’sSouthwest Louisiana Independence Center presented a plaque

to Kohl’s of Lake Charles in appreciation for participation in the Supported Employment Program for persons with disabilities through Louisiana Rehabilitation Services and SLIC.

St. Theresa Bon Ton Festival is a Top 20 STS EventThe Southeast Tourism Society (STS) recently honored the St.

Theresa Bon Ton Festival as a Top 20 event for the third quarter of 2014. This year’s festival was held Sept. 19-21 in Carlyss. The Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau is a mem-

Michael Pendergast

Randy Peterson

L to R: Yvette Griffin, store manager, Romona Richard, SLIC and Vanessa Million, Kohl’s Customer Service, area supervisor

September 25, 2014 05Vol. 6 • No. 13

ber of STS, an organization that promotes travel to and within the southeastern part of the United States. The bureau nominates all area fairs, festivals and events quarterly.

McNeese Professor Publishes Civil War Book

Dr. Michael T. Smith, associate professor of history at McNeese State University, has recently published a new book titled The 1864 Franklin-Nashville Campaign: The Finishing Stroke. The 180-page book was published by Praeger Publishers. In his book, Smith exam-ines how the strategic and tactical decisions by the Confederate and Union commanders con-tributed to the Northern victories in Tennessee in November and December of 1864. Smith,

who has been at McNeese since 2006, received his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, his master’s degree from North Carolina State University and his doctorate from Pennsylva-nia State University – all in American history.

LC Charter Academy to Plant Teaching GardenLake Charles Charter Academy is planting its American Heart

Association Teaching Garden, sponsored by L’Auberge Cares, as part of an education initiative to help build healthy bodies and minds. The Plant Day Celebration will be held at 10 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 26 at Lake Charles Charter Academy, 2750 Power Center Pkwy in Lake Charles. The Teaching Garden was created using American Heart Association science and nutrition guidelines as well as information from gardening and education experts. For more information about the Teaching Garden program and how

your school can participate, visit www.heart.org/teachinggardens.

McNeese Senior Wins Logo ContestAyumi Ogawa, a visual arts senior from Japan, has won the logo

design contest for the Kay Doré Counseling Clinic at McNeese State University. Ogawa received a $100 McNeese bookstore gift card for her winning design. She also won McNeese’s 75th Anniver-sary T-shirt Design Contest. The contest was open to all students and entries were reviewed by a panel of judges.

Katie Blum, left, clinical manager of the Kay Doré Counseling Clinic , presents Ogawa with a $100 McNeese bookstore gift card for her winning design. McNeese Photo

Michael T. Smith

McNeese Accepting Homecoming Parade Entries

McNeese State University is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales will make a special appearance in the 2014 McNeese Homecoming Parade as part of the celebration. Th e parade rolls down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. Th ursday, Oct. 16, and the community is invited to participate in this annual event.

Oct. 10 is the deadline for com-munity entries and the fee is $50 per unit. Th is year’s theme is “Cowboys Forever.” Th e Cowboys are playing the Wildcats of Abilene Christian for homecoming at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 in Cowboy Stadium.

Line-up for the parade begins at 3:30 p.m. in freshman parking Lot A near Cowboy Stadium. Th e parade will start at the intersection of Ryan and East LaGrange streets, turn south on Ryan and travel to McNeese Street, and turn east on McNeese and travel to Cowboy Stadium, where it will dis-band for the homecoming pep rally and fi reworks display.

For more information or to register for the parade, community organizations can contact the Mc-Neese Offi ce of University Services and Campus Life at 475-5706 or go to www.mcneese.edu/homecoming.

September 25, 201406 Vol. 6 • No. 13

When I was in high school, it seemed that what the girls wanted most was a man who could throw a mean football or swing a mean bat. Later, I got married and found out, all too late, that what they really wanted was a man who could turn a mean wrench.

My wife truly believes that, when a man puts on a wed-ding ring, it somehow bestows on him the power to be able to stop a leak faster than a speed-ing bullet. It makes me wish that I were living back when you still had to get all your water from a well.

Th is evening was a perfect example. We’d just returned home from a week’s vacation. I was in my home offi ce catching up on some important business, namely, the American League

pennant chase, when my wife came in to inform me that there was a “pinhole” leak in one of our pool hoses.

No problem, I thought. I’d been married long enough to learn that where there’s a leak, there’s a hole, and where there’s a hole, there’s a job for duct tape. I always kept a roll handy for just such a purpose. I could easily get the job done between innings.

I grabbed my roll and fol-lowed my wife into the yard. She started the pump to show me the extent of the problem. It produced the same eff ect as if she’d opened a fi re hydrant. I don’t know what kind of pin she was thinking about that made the hole, but it was clearly of a size that could land a whale. Even with my extensive duct-

taping experience, I knew I was helpless in that moment.

“I’ve got to replace that hose,” I told her. “We’ll have to leave the pump off . I’ll get the parts in the morning.” It was clearly not what she wanted to hear.

“But the pool! It’s a mess! How am I going to clean it?” she wailed.

It was true enough. The area had had so much rain while we were gone that the neighbors all had pirogues moored in their driveways. My wife had always insisted on taking care of the pool by herself, and she was taking pride in the fact that she’d kept it algae-free all season. Now, she was into the home stretch of September, and the pool was taking on a color like the world’s largest margarita.

I could tell by her expression that she was expecting a mira-cle. Trying to be helpful, she suggested that we fi x it with a bungee cord. “We’ve got plenty of those around,” she said hope-fully, I didn’t even try to under-stand where she was coming from with that one. She prob-ably reckoned that they could have stopped the Titanic from sinking if only they’d had a few bungee cords around.

Still, I’d clearly let her down. To her, I was a bigger disap-pointment than the Mighty Casey had been to the baseball fans of Mudville. I can only be glad that she is not a poet.

Mike McHugh is a syndi-cated columnist from Lake Charles. You can follow him on his blog at thedangyankee.com or on Twitter @dang_yankee.

The Mighty Yankee Strikes Out

Need a sweet, high-energy girl to spice up your life? Sable is about 18 months old and is clearly part lab, but we have no idea what she is mixed with. But, we do think she has the cut-est ears we have seen in a while: one stands up and one flops down—all the time. She runs like the wind, so she is hoping for a large yard that is securely fenced. She will need a pri-vacy fence since she has demonstrated expert skill climbing over hurricane fences. She is eager to please and would be a wonderful candidate for obedience training. She is perfectly crate trained for sleeping but loves to be outside during the day. A child over the age of five would be nice, too! For more

information, call or email: (337) 478-7294; lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check and home visit required prior to all adoptions.

For more information, call or email: (337) 478-7294, lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check and home visit required prior to all adoptions.

Featured by LAPAW Rescue • Contact us at www.lapaw.org

September 25, 2014 07Vol. 6 • No. 13

Dogs are highly social animals (like us), thus they love attention (again, like us). However, the way they ask for attention can be quite painful, bratty, and just downright annoying. Jump-ing, pawing, barking, and nipping are all normal be-haviors that dogs use to gain our attention, yet they can be quite dangerous. If a large dog jumps on a small child or an elderly person, the results can be harmful.

So, how do you “correct” these behaviors? The an-swer is really pretty simple: take your attention away when your dog exhibits an attention-seeking behavior. However, like anything else in dog training, it will take time and patience.

We will start with the most common attention-seeking behavior: jumping. Dogs jump to get our atten-tion. When we pet them, talk to them, push them off us, strike them (which should NEVER be done at any point in time), or even look at them, then we have given them what they were seeking--attention! So, if and when your dog jumps up on you, you should immediately take all of your attention away from him. You literally ignore him. This makes you

super boring. Some trainers suggest

turning your back to the dog. This can work, yet it can backfire, as well. If you turn too quickly, he may think you are playing, and that will only encourage more jumping. I suggest to just “be a tree”--a boring tree. As soon as your dog makes contact with you, im-mediately look straight up at the ceiling or sky and raise your arms above your head or across your chest (I rec-ommend raising your arms so that the dog can’t nip or paw at them) and just be as dull as possible. It may take a few moments, but he will get bored with you and get off you. When he has all four paws on the floor/ground, ask him to sit, and THEN give him attention. If every-one is consistent with this, your dog will learn that jumping does not work, but sitting does.

Two other attention-seeking behaviors are bark-ing and pawing. You should handle them the

same way as jumping. If your dog places its paw on you for attention, look the other way until the paw is removed. Then, ask him for an alternate behavior

(such as “sit”) and then reinstate your attention. If

your dog barks at you for attention, look the other way until he is silent. Then, ask for an alternate behavior, and reinstate your attention.

Nipping needs to be han-dled the same way as jump-ing, pawing, and barking, but with a slight twist. Obvi-ously just ignoring your dog while nipping is not the best idea. So, for example, if you are petting your dog and he or she nips you, say, “Eh eh,” and stop petting him. Wait a few moments, and then go back to petting him. The moment he nips or mouths you again, do the same thing. If he is on your lap, and nips you, say, “Eh eh,” and place him on the floor.

You can also administer a “time-out” if you are get-ting frustrated or if your dog

keeps nipping/mouthing. A time-out should be away from the kennel/crate and should only last one to two minutes. If the time out is longer than that, the dog will forget why he was placed there in the first place. I recommend a small room, such as a utility room or bathroom. You may have to administer several time-outs in a day—that’s normal.

At the end of the day, remember to HAVE PA-TIENCE! Training takes time. There are no quick fixes. Never use any physi-cal punishment. Kneeing your dog in the chest to get him or her to stop jumping may work, but it will also teach your dog to fear you. When animals are afraid, the fight-or-flight response is triggered, so they fight back, flee or freeze. None of those states of mind are healthy or fun. Training should always be healthy and fun.

So, until next time, happy training!Britney Blanchette Pitre, CPDT-KA, Bons Chiens Dog

Training, LLC.

Pet Me Now!

September 25, 201408 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Prior to 1971, I had never hunted with a member of the fairer sex (an oxymoron if there ever was one). So, late in the second duck-hunting season I waltzed into West-lake’s Sheraton Chateau Charles and made a B-line

for the breakfast buffet. Eggs sunnyside, over-easy, or scrambled awaited me. Sau-sage links and patties, crisp-ing bacon and breakfast ham sizzled on the grill. Butter-milk biscuits, toast, waffles, and the “to die for” cinnamon

rolls rested in the warmer. Life was a Cabaret old chum.

“Hey Rog,” someone said. I spun to see who dared

slow my breakfast quest. There they were. Hunt host Zach Roche and head guide Larry Shreffer were huddled together and amused about something. They must have spoken to me.

“Yes sir,” I replied in my best suck-up voice.

“Your sport’s seated over there,” Zach said and pointed.

“Take good care of her, she specifically asked for you,” Larry said, still wearing that bemused grin.

Seated at a table dining daintily away on the break-fast I didn’t have yet was a woman. Such was my fate. I had won this honor by be-coming assistant head guide. That meant I got to take the drunks, jerks, non-tippers, kids and all the other cast-offs. I was also paid double for the pleasure. So naturally, I got the female.

She was an older woman, probably 35 or so. I was 20 at the time. She had long bru-nette hair pulled into a po-nytail and damn if she didn’t look like Cabela’s outfitted her. They weren’t brand new either. She probably wore them gardening.

I wondered why she’d asked for me but that didn’t deter me from ravaging the breakfast buffet and carefully wrapping up a half dozen cinnamon rolls in case she got hungry on the hunt. With completely covered plate in one hand and foiled rolls in the other, I sauntered over.

“Mornin, Ma’am,” I said in my best tip gettin’ charmin’ drawl as I sat across from her. Couldn’t say she was pretty but she sure was attractive. Nice green eyes and an easy smile.

“Good morning, Roger,” she said with a Chicago-ese accent. “I’m Betty Edwards.”

“A woman and a Yankee. Going to be a long day,” I thought.

A conversation ensued where I learned the lady was an MD and Dr. Don’s wife. I’d guided for him every year for three years previously. He was part of the Abbott and Costello MD team that I took every year. Don, the neurosurgeon, had been the straight man who talked of his wife and family and served as the foil for the womanizing, boozing, out-all-night-hung-over- in-the morning Dr. Ron, cardiolo-gist. She knew all the tales and especially liked the joust

The Fairer Sex

Roger�at�20

September 25, 2014 09Vol. 6 • No. 13

the two held after their hunt. That’s when we’d get about ten yards apart in our bateaus and 9.8 Merc outboards. The Docs stood in front, boat cushions held high as shields with their push poles flat end out for lances. We’d run at each other and the Doc that ended up in the canal bought the winner supper.

On the long drive down to the Sabine Lighthouse ponds, she told me why she had made the trip. Don had died shortly after he returned from his hunt to celebrate Christmas the year before. Ironically, he’d suffered a brain aneurism. That quieted things down.

“That’s why I came down. Don and Ron had so much fun with you, I had to come,” she said quietly.

“Oh,” I replied just as softly.We finally made it to the

blind. All of the omens were against a good hunt. It was late in the second season. There was a full moon and nary a cloud in the sky. Since there was no wind, the de-coys just floated there look-ing just like what they were, lifeless plastic imitation ducks. There was some good news though: she knew how to load her Browning over and under 20-gauge shotgun. Trust me; I have had sports who didn’t know how to load their shotguns.

We passed the time shar-ing Don and Ron stories and laughed a lot. Wasn’t much else to do. Finally, a high flock of pintails sailed our way. I played sweet nothings on my duck calls and every other sound I knew to attract them but they just circled and circled high above us. Finally, the lead drake swung away toward us and the flock followed. Surprised the hell out of me but I was all for it and hit a few soft whistles on my call. At the edge of

the decoys they flared and I yelled, “Take ‘em!”

Betty came up smoothly and swung to her outside bird. There was a “Blam!” The drake folded. Then another “Blam!” The drake on the other end of the flock dropped.

I had followed her swing with my shotgun, ready to shoot near her shot if she missed. That way she‘d think she‘d killed it. Betty didn’t need my help, so I quickly set my gun down on the seat. If she noticed, she never said.

“Why’d you shoot one duck on one end of the flock and then shoot the other clean across the flock?” I queried.

“Roger, there were only two large drakes in the flock,” she replied matter-of-fac-tually, not an ounce of brag in her voice. Even I, self-proclaimed Marsh Hawkeye, couldn’t pull off that shot. Of all the women in the world, I got to hunt with the wa-terfowler version of Annie Oakley.

In the two seasons we hunted together, she only missed one shot, a surprise teal high-balling at warp speed over her left shoulder. The second shot literally knocked it down. You see Betty had grown up hunt-ing on her family farm and she and Don had spent many marvelous days afield togeth-er in the cornfields of Illi-nois. She had wanted to share what Don had loved so much, hunting the marshes and rice fields of South Louisiana. And I had the honor of being with her while she did.

I’ve had the pleasure of hunting with some of the best. Dr. Betty, wherever you are, you are the best shot I ever hunted with. Your legacy, though, is not your shooting. It is that you forev-er altered my attitude about “The Fairer Sex” afield.

September 25, 201410 Vol. 6 • No. 13

When God puts love and compassion in our hearts toward someone, he’s offering us an opportunity to make a difference in that person’s life. We must learn to follow that love. Not to ignore it. Act on it. Somebody needs what you have. God opens doors of opportunity before us that no one can shut. But we also have to realize that sometimes, He also closes doors because he has some-thing better in store for us.

That closed door can hurt and confuse you. It can leave you unable to understand what and why it happened. That’s why you must stay open and keep trusting in God. If you are blinded and can only see the door that’s been closed, than you may miss the door that He has opened behind you! When

you are able to let go and move out of your own way and trust God, He’ll make sure you see those open doors.

His words are what lights the path. Surrender all to Him. Allow Him to have His way in your life. You have to trust in His timing. Then, step back and see the open door He has prepared for you to walk through. Don’t allow

the perpetual black cloud to float above you.

If what I just described sounds like you at all, you might want to notice that you aren’t much fun to be around, are you? Stop seeing bad in every situation. Make an effort to find one thing to be happy or thankful about each day. Eventually, day by day, you will climb the stair-case that leads away from a crushed spirit. Rediscover-ing joy and thankfulness will renew your spirit. Don’t cry and keep trying to hold onto what hurt and pulled your spirit down. It’s not where you belong.

One of the most important and beautiful things you can do is love others. Think about the good things we find in all the people we know, and as we do, our attitudes toward them will improve. Focusing on others’ faults is not show-

ing love to them. Instead, consider praying for them concerning any weaknesses they may be experiencing. Focus on positive, loving thoughts about peo-

ple. Then when they do something you don’t like,

you are so full of good thoughts about them, it is

easier to just let go.When it’s time to set some-

one free that has been part of your life, remember their hearts. Always, release them with love and care. Everyone’s hearts crack wide open. Pray for their hearts to heal and allow love to enter.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

To book a Soul Matters Session with Nicole Shuff Arabie, call (337) 540-6573. You can also go to her Face-book page at www.facebook.com/DeclutteringYourSoul

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

Proverbs 27:19 What if we could look in-

side our hearts? What would we see? What stories would our hearts reveal? Our hearts reveal the condition of our souls. Are we sad? Hurt? An-gry? Jealous? Anxious?

Let’s talk about mistakes. We all make them and those mistakes teach us even if we don’t want them to. What we look like on the outside isn’t always what we look like on the inside. We can see our reflections when looking into a mirror, or looking at our photo. We get physically examined when we go to the doctor. We receive a prescrip-tion to make us feel better. It’s a fast fix. A Band-Aid of sorts. We heal and keep on going. When our souls are suffering, what prescrip-tion can be given to us? I’ve learned that it’s definitely not a fast fix.

What do our hearts “say” about our spiritual condi-tion? My heart had a story that I was ignoring. I never heard my heart crying. I pushed the feelings of sad-ness back down deep inside. I was too busy ignoring my heart’s language. Most of us have issues with being alone, which can be frightening. But if we allow it to happen, we

begin to experience moments of solitude that can become a special quiet, empty space within us. This new unknown space appears. I refer to this space as a landscape. It opens within and finally, we have breathing space. Past pains pop up, and forgotten hopes and loves bubble up in surprising and unexpected ways. Deep yearnings for something we can’t quite understand bring tears to our eyes. I call this God’s Language. God is revealing to us old dominances so that we can form new, firm founda-tions. Freshness within our hearts and our souls. These foundations transform our hearts into hearts of faith.

I describe my own experi-ence as a radical change. The whole direction and stance of my life as I once knew it no longer existed. So many people get stuck because they don’t want to get out of their comfort zone. They want to stay with what they know because it’s comfortable. But, in order to reach your desti-nation, you have to step out into the unknown.

The Door of Our Heart

September 25, 2014 11Vol. 6 • No. 13

September means football, gators, teal and tailgating. The last time, we touched on a couple of quick and easy items to bring along when invited to a tailgate party. Today, we’re going to dive right into one of my favorite crowd-pleasing dishes for your own tailgate party: Alligator Sauce Piquante. This time of year, I always have more gator meat than I know what to do with, and after making sausage and meatballs I used to find myself looking for new ideas until I decided to make this one day. I’ve had it in my wheelhouse ever since. This is an easy dish, but one you don’t want to rush. So after you have everything simmering, kick back with your favorite “adult beverage” and enjoy yourself.

Gator Time! Tonya Meche Wants Your

Recipes!You’ve all enjoyed “Tonya

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

Alligator Sauce PiquanteWhat You’ll Need4 pounds cleaned gator meat4 tablespoons flour4 tablespoons vegetable oil3 medium onions, chopped5 cloves garlic, minced4 ribs celery, chopped1 bell pepper, chopped1 bunch green onion, chopped1 small handful parsley, chopped3 cans Rotel tomatoes1 can tomato paste (8 oz.)1 quart chicken stock1 stick of real butter, cut3 bay leaves1 lemon (sliced thin)Salt, black pepper, red pepper

What You’ll DoIn your favorite pot, make a roux with the fl our and oil. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and

garlic. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and Rotel tomatoes; simmer about 30 min-utes. Add meat and chicken stock, simmer about 20 minutes. Add bay leaves, green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley, butter and lemon. Simmer 30-40 minutes. Serve over rice.

See y’all soon….and don’t forget to... STIR DAT POT!

September 25, 201412 Vol. 6 • No. 13

By Lauren de AlbuquerqueEvery breast cancer survivor has their

own unique journey.Laura Waldmeier, the owner of Keith’s

Pawn Shop in Lake Charles, will never forget the day she was diagnosed. “I was shocked at first, then scared,” she re-members. “My family and friends were shocked and scared as well, but it drew us closer together. I have a huge family and that was helpful.”

Because of the size of the tumor, she was advised to have a mastectomy first and then proceed with chemotherapy

followed by radiation. “I was at Stage 3 and the cancer had already spread to three of 14 lymph nodes that the sur-geon removed,” she says. “He was op-timistic that the number of cancerous nodes was low, relative to the number that he removed.”

The lengthy surgery was more diffi-cult on her family. “I recall family mem-bers telling me that it took about four and a half to five hours,” she says. “The waiting was hard on them.”

Fortunately, Waldmeier didn’t experi-ence much pain associated with the sur-

gery. “I had drains in place to re-move any post-op fluid build-up,” she says. “It seemed like there were tubes all over the place, but there were really only two drains. They were a necessary nuisance.”

Soon after the drains were removed, about two weeks after surgery, she started chemothera-py. “At first, the worst part about the chemo was not being able to sleep,” she remembers. “The oncologist prescribed IV ster-oids to be administered with the chemo drugs. The steroids kept me awake and gave me a ‘big’ ap-petite. After a couple of days, the steroids would wear off and I was able to sleep.”

Waldmeier was able to work full-time at first, but after about three rounds of chemo, she expe-rienced a lot of fatigue, so she ad-justed her work schedule. “For-tunately, having our own business afforded me a lot of flexibility. During radiation, I was able to work full-time. And, I didn’t ex-

perience any side effects at all from the radiation.”

But there were other side effects from the chemo. “I noticed my hair falling out on a Sunday morning,” she recalls. “I was getting ready for church. While I was showering, I looked down to see hair all over my feet. It was shocking because I didn’t expect it to start fall-ing out so soon after starting chemo. The doctor said it usually starts falling out after the second or third treatment. Mine fell out after the first treatment. After the initial shock, I sat down and cried. Then, I got up, got dressed, and went to church.”

The next day, Waldmeier saw her hairdresser, Jose Baca. “He was great. I wanted him to shave my head, but he suggested that I just cut it short, to kind of transition to being bald. He told me to come back if it continued falling out.”

She returned just three days later and he shaved her head. “There were a few patches of hair that didn’t fall out com-pletely, so I shaved those periodically with an electric razor so the stubble wouldn’t catch on my pillowcase and irritate me.”

Throughout her struggle, her family kept her spirits up. “My family threw a hat and scarf party for me,” she remem-

September 25, 2014 13Vol. 6 • No. 13

bers. “I had so many cute, fun ways to keep my head covered up. I wasn’t really into wigs. They were hot and itchy. I prob-ably wore more baseball caps than anything else. After my hair grew back, I picked out a few of my favorite hats, caps, and scarves to keep. I brought the rest, two large gift bags full, to the oncology department at Moss Regional Hospital, where they were given to other cancer patients.”

Cancer FreeWaldmeier is one of the lucky ones.“My doctor never really said the words ‘you’re in remis-

sion,’” she says. “He said ‘you’re cancer free.’ I liked that better. To me, remission somehow meant that it was possible that it could come back, and that felt negative. The words ‘cancer free’ felt more positive. So, in May of 2004, when all the scans came back clear, he pronounced me cancer free.” As of May of this year, Waldmeier has been cancer free for ten years. She sees her doctor every six months and gets a yearly mammogram.

Because she had such great support from her friends and family, she didn’t seek out a support group or go to coun-seling. “It was almost impossible to go through that experi-ence and not run across others who’ve been there,” she says. “Whether it’s through family, friends, a church community, a support group, or a counselor, a good support system is so important.”

Since her return to health, Waldmeier has made a few life-style changes. “I try to make healthier food choices, which is not an easy thing to do when you live in the South. I stay as physically active as possible, but I don’t have a strict exer-cise routine. The most important part of my daily regimen is

prayer and meditation. I don’t smoke, drink, or do drugs, so I do the best I can every day.”

She and her husband opened their business, Keith’s Pawn Shop, in 1976. He passed away in 2011, but she continues to run the business.

She offers this advice for women with breast cancer: “Take care of yourself, don’t look at it as a death sentence, and stay positive. Don’t deny your emotions, though. Find the sup-port system that works for you. Even if it’s just one trusted friend that you can talk to and cry with, it’s better than keep-ing everything bottled up inside. Then, when you’ve sought the support you need, get up, brush yourself off, and keep walking.”

L’Auberge Casino Resort presents the sixth annual FOX29/Lake Charles CW Pink Celebration Breast Cancer Awareness Breakfast. It will be held at L’Auberge on Oct. 14 at 8 a.m. All proceeds benefit the Ethel Precht Breast Can-cer Foundation and the women of the Lake Area. Keynote speaker will be three-time cancer survivor Kim Sport. For tickets or sponsorship information, call (337) 474-1316.

FOX29 Lake Charles CW Pink Celebration Oct. 14

September 25, 201414 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Robotic-assisted surgeries are now being performed at Lake Area Medical Center in

Lake Charles. Robotic sur-gery was recently added to the hospital’s surgical service line

as an alternative to traditional open surgery. The new tech-nology is offering local sur-

geons and patients advanced options for care.

Lake Area Medical Center’s new robotic surgery system has several unique features designed to provide superior clinical advantages and effi-ciency in the operating room. This includes an enhanced 3D, high-definition vision of operative field with up to 10x magnification, along with an exclusive florescence imaging method that allows surgeons to see below the surface of hu-man tissue.

Lake Area Medical Center is the only hospital in the South-west Louisiana region to offer this elite imaging capability as-sociated with robotic surgery.

“We are proud to unveil our new robotic surgery program,” said Bryan S. Bateman, Chief Executive Officer at Lake Area Medical Center. “We believe our new robotic surgery sys-tem will help provide the best possible clinical outcomes and it is proof of our commitment to offer our patients and the

community access to the lat-

Lake Area Medical Center Now Off ering Advanced Robotic Surgery

Here are a few tips that may help reduce nausea and vomiting if you are getting chemo:

• On the days you get chemo, make sure you have had something to eat. Most people fi nd that a light meal or snack before chemo is best.

• In most cases, chemo is given on an outpatient basis, such as in an infusion center or a doctor’s offi ce. Getting chemo can take a few minutes or many hours.

Plan ahead and bring a light meal or snacks with you. Many treatment centers have refrigerators and microwaves you can use.

• Fatigue is very common when getting chemo. Th ere are some things you can do to deal with it, such as set priorities, pace yourself, ask others to do chores, plan activities when you have the most energy, know your lim-its, and eat balanced meals.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself if side eff ects make it

hard to eat. Try eating small, frequent meals or snacks. Choose the foods that appeal to you the most. Your taste can change on an almost day-to-day basis when you are getting cancer treatment.

• Make the most of days when you feel well and your appetite is good. Try to eat regular meals and snacks, but listen to your body. Never force yourself to eat some-thing that you don’t want, or if you feel full.

• Ask family and friends

for help shopping and cook-ing. If you don’t have help, think about having meals delivered to your home or maybe having lunch at a local community or senior center.

• Most side eff ects last a short time and go away when treatment is over. If symp-toms last, notify your health care team. Nutrition-related side eff ects should be dealt with immediately to help you keep up your weight and energy.

Tips From the National Cancer Society for Patients Undergoing Chemo

September 25, 2014 15Vol. 6 • No. 13

est advancements in minimally invasive surgery.”

Lake Area Medical Center’s robotic technology takes sur-gery beyond the limits of the human hand. It can be used for a multitude of operating room procedures, including, but not limited to: prostatectomy, ne-phrectomy and hysterectomy.

Using the robotic system, the surgeon makes one or more small incisions into which a high-resolution camera is guided, along with delicate surgical instruments that become an extension of a surgeon’s hands. The ro-botic arms match the surgeon’s finger movements in real time synchronization, permitting delicate maneuvers to be per-formed without disrupting the surrounding healthy tissue.

“By utilizing this state-of-the-art surgical technology, we are offering our patients benefits such as significantly less post-operative pain, less blood loss, less scarring, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker return to normal daily activities,” says Farjaad Siddiq, M.D., FACS, a board certified urologist and an independent member of the hospital’s medi-cal staff.

Dr. Siddiq also serves as the Director of Robotic Surgery at Lake Area Medical Center. He has extensive knowledge and

experience in the robotic-assisted surgery field and suc-cessfully performed the first robotic surgery at

Lake Area Medical Center in early September.

“These technological ad-vancements provide surgeons

with unparalleled accuracy, acuity and control that enable a minimally invasive approach for many complex surgical procedures,” he said.

For more information about robotic surgery procedures being conducted at Lake Area Medical Center, or to find a physician offering robotic surgery options, please log on to www.LakeAreaMC.com/Robotics.

September 25, 201416 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Louisiana is ranked at the top when it comes to breast cancer mortality rates. It is not because the state has a higher number of cancer patients, but due to the fact that women in the state tend to wait longer to be diag-nosed and treated.

All women are at risk for breast cancer, and as you get older, your risk increases. Re-searchers estimate that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time in their lives. This means that the average woman has about a 12 to 13 percent risk of develop-ing breast cancer.

However, survival rates keep climbing since diagnosis and treatment has advanced into the digital age. The difference between a digital mammogram and an analog is night and day and starting at age 40, women should have a mammogram every year.

“Your first mammogram is

a baseline mammogram which should be done between the ages of 35 and 40,” says Kim Strong, a registered breast specialist at Lake Charles Memorial’s Breast Health Center. “A radiologist reads a mammogram by com-paring one year to the other to look for any changes.”

In addition to using all digital radiology equipment, Lake Charles Memorial uses computer aided diagnosis or CAD system. This system helps radiologist interpret these medi-cal images. The CAD system will mark suspicious areas on a mammogram image that doc-tors should take a closer look at.

A woman’s risk of breast can-cer approximately doubles if she has a fi rst-degree relative, such as a mother or sister who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 15 percent of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.

Five to 10 percent of breast

cancers can be linked to gene mutations inherited from a mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80 percent risk of developing breast cancer during their life-time, and they are more likely to be diagnosed before menopause.

About 85 percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.

The wave of the future in cur-ing breast cancer is in genetic testing. The BRCA gene test is a blood test that uses DNA analysis to identify possible mutations in either one of the two breast cancer susceptibility genes — BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women who have inherited mutations in these genes face a

much higher risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian can-cer compared with the general population.

Memorial offers this type of genetic testing, along with con-sultation and options for women who find they do carry these mutations. These technological advancements help in early de-tection, which remains the gold standard in treating and beating breast cancer.

“First thing they should do, every woman should do a self breast exam once a month and see doctor for an exam once a year,” Kim Strong says. “They should have a mammogram every year once they hit the age of 40.”

Lake Charles Memorial offers an entire team of doctors, tech-nology and treatment options to fight breast cancer. For more information contact Memorial’s Breast Health Center at (337) 494-4755 or (337) 480-7444.

Breast Health Be a Survivor, Get Familiar

September 25, 2014 17Vol. 6 • No. 13

The 10th Annual Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer Walk will take place Oct. 18 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Registra-tion is at 7 a.m., the ceremony starts at 8 a.m. and the walk will begin at 8:30 a.m. Regis-tration is $15 and includes a T-shirt. Ethel Precht is a breast cancer survivor of over 25 years who decided to organize a walk to benefit local survivors in Calcasieu and Cameron Par-ishes. The first event was held in 2004 with a few hundred attendees. Since then, it has grown into the largest gath-

ering for a non-profit in the Lake Charles area. For reg-istration information, go to www.ethelbreastcancerwalk.org.In 2012, $60,000 was awarded to survivors to help with, treatment, therapy, prosthesis, transportation and so much more. The Foundation also awards a scholarship to a Mc-Neese or a SOWELA student

who is a survivor or has an immediate relation that is a survivor. The Foundation has a monthly support group at no charge that meets the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. at the office of Dr. Goolsby at 780 Bayou Pines East Drive (right off of Lake Street). Jan Blake, a breast cancer survivor and board member of the Ethel

Precht Breast Cancer Founda-tion is the meeting facilita-tor. Each month, Jan gathers survivors along with guest speakers to promote awareness and support and answer any questions. Family and friends are encouraged to attend. For more information about the group, contact them at sup-portgroup@ethelbreastcancer-walk.org.

Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer Walk Oct. 18

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is a celebration of sur-vivorship and an occasion to express hope and our shared de-termination to make this breast cancer’s last century. The fight to end breast cancer starts with a single step.

Join millions of people in more than 300 communities na-tionwide and take that step with us at the American Cancer Soci-ety Making Strides of Calcasieu-Lake Charles walk at the Gove in Heritage Square, 1015 Ruth St. in Sulphur starting at 8 a.m. Just a few hours of your time at the non-competitive, 5K event will help bring a lifetime of change for people facing breast cancer and their families.

Every Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event is an incred-ible and inspiring opportunity to unite as a community to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about what we can do to reduce our breast cancer risk, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fight the disease with breast cancer research, information and serv-ices, and access to mammograms for women who need them. Sign up today and let’s finish the fight against breast cancer! Call Kenya Hill at (337) 237-3797 ext. 2 for more information.

Making Strides Against Breast

Cancer Walk Oct. 11

September 25, 201418 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Signs of breast cancer in-clude a lump or change in the breast.

These and other signs may be caused by breast cancer or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following:• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the un-derarm area.• A change in the size or shape

of the breast.• A dimple or puckering in the skin of the breast.• A nipple turned inward into the breast.• Fluid, other than breast milk, from the nipple, especially if it’s bloody.• Scaly, red, or swollen skin on the breast, nipple, or areola • Dimples in the breast that look like the skin of an orange,

called peau d’orangeA doctor should be seen if changes in the breast are no-ticed. The following tests and procedures may be used:• Physical exam and his-tory: An exam of the body to check general signs of health, including checking for signs of disease, such as lumps or anything else that seems unu-sual. A history of the patient’s health habits and past illnesses and treatments will also be taken. • Clinical breast exam (CBE): An exam of the breast by a doctor or other health profes-sional. The doctor will care-fully feel the breasts and under the arms for lumps or anything else that seems unusual.• Mammogram.• Ultrasound exam: A pro-cedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. The picture can be printed to be looked at later.• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nucle-ar magnetic resonance imag-ing (NMRI).• Blood chemistry studies: A procedure in which a blood sample is checked to measure the amounts of certain sub-stances released into the blood by organs and tissues in the body. An unusual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance can be a sign of disease in the organ or tissue that makes it. • Biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. If a lump in the breast is found, the doctor

may need to remove a small piece of the lump. Four types of biopsies are as follows: • Excisional biopsy: The removal of an entire lump of tissue. • Incisional biopsy: The removal of part of a lump or a sample of tissue. • Core biopsy: The removal of tissue using a wide needle. • Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy: The removal of tissue or fluid, using a thin needle.If cancer is found, tests are done to study the cancer cells. Decisions about the best treat-ment are based on the results of these tests. The tests give information about:• How quickly the cancer may grow,• How likely it is that the cancer will spread through the body,• How well certain treatments might work, and• How likely the cancer is to recur

Tests include the following:• Estrogen and progesterone receptor test: A test to meas-ure the amount of estrogen and progesterone receptors in cancer tissue. If there are more estrogen and progester-one receptors than normal, the cancer may grow more quickly. The test results show whether treatment to block estrogen and progesterone may stop the cancer from growing.• Human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor (HER2/neu) test: A laboratory test to measure how many HER2/neu genes there are and how much HER2/neu protein is made in a sample of tissue. If there are more HER2/neu genes or higher levels of HER2/neu protein than normal, the cancer may grow more quickly and is more likely to spread to other parts of the body. The cancer may be treated with drugs that target the HER2/

Breast Cancer: What You Should Know

September 25, 2014 19Vol. 6 • No. 13

neu protein, such as trastuzu-mab and lapatinib.• Multigene tests: Tests in which samples of tissue are studied to look at the activ-ity of many genes at the same time. These tests may help predict whether cancer will spread to other parts of the body or recur:

o Oncotype DX: This test helps predict whether stage I or stage II breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor-positive and node-negative will spread to other parts of the body. If the risk of the cancer spreading is high, chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk.o MammaPrint: This test helps predict whether Stage I or Stage II breast cancer that is node-negative will spread to other parts of the body. If the risk of the cancer spread-ing is high, chemotherapy may be given to lower the risk.The prognosis and treat-

ment options depend on the following:• The stage of the cancer (the size of the tumor and whether it is in the breast only or has spread to lymph nodes or other places in the body),• The type of breast cancer,• Estrogen receptor and pro-gesterone receptor levels in the tumor tissue,• Human epidermal growth factor type 2 receptor (HER2/neu) levels in the tumor tissue,• Whether the tumor tissue is triple-negative (cells that do not have estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, or high levels of HER2/neu),• How fast the tumor is grow-ing,• How likely the tumor is to recur, • A woman’s age, general health, and menopausal status, and• Whether the cancer has just been diagnosed or has re-curred.

Source: National Cancer Institute

“Get Your Kitchen in Shape” is a free Dare to be Healthy Challenge Grant program that provides fami-lies in the community with a fun, “hands-on” experi-ence of preparing a healthy, nutritious meal together. During a 3-hour session, you and your family will each have an important role in preparing a delicious, healthy meal. Then sit down enjoy your meal together! Sessions and participants are limited in number, and preregistration is required. “Get Your Kitchen in Shape” will be offered Thurs., Oct. 2 at McNeese State University in Gayle Hall 201, 4205 Ryan Street, Lake Charles from 5:30-8:30 p.m. For more information, go to http://healthierswla.com.

Get Your Kitchen in Shape! Oct. 2

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September 25, 2014 23Vol. 6 • No. 13

It’s been one year since the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development Center (SEED) Center opened its doors, and, in that time, the three-story, $13 million facility has man-aged to successfully combine business, entrepreneurship, and education in a way never before seen in Southwest Louisiana.

The facility is striking: three stories high, with a sleek and modern design and beautifully landscaped, the SEED Center definitely gives a great first impression.

I walked through the front doors ex-pecting little more than medically sooth-ing taupe walls and fluorescent lighting, but it wasn’t that at all. Sunlight filled the two-story grand entrance, adding to the craftsmanship of the main staircase. I found myself standing in this space admiring modern details, as it is apparent the designer had a flare for mid-century styling. Large wood panels hanging on the walls have been stained dark and glossed to a rich and vibrant finish. I would later complete a tour of the facility to find that every square inch of this place is flawless.

No detail too small has been overlooked in its conception and construction.

The SEED Center is a Joint Venture and Cooperative Endeavor Agreement among the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, City of Lake Charles, McNeese State University, and the SWLA Alliance to establish an economic development center to foster economic growth and development in Southwest Louisiana.

“We’re one of the last regions in the state to have a full-size business incuba-tor,” said George Swift, president and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Eco-nomic Alliance. “A business incubator is a facility that provides space for start-up businesses. But more than that, it’s to provide support and counseling to help start-ups get going and remain successful. The business community will be better served by having more businesses in the area and more potential customers and tax revenue.”

Swift said its recent opening is timely since our region is leading the nation in announced industrial projects. “We have

about 19 new start-up businesses cur-rently working in our business incubator. The connection with McNeese State Uni-versity and its programs is proving a wise decision to improve the business climate in our five parishes.”

Adrian Wallace is the executive direc-tor of the SEED Center Incubator who walks me through the mission statement like a stern drill sergeant with a polite smile.

“Business owners operating out of their home are welcome to apply to the SEED Center’s Incubator,” he said. “Business incubation is a process of assessing and meeting a client’s needs. Through the use of the incubator’s resources, the process moves clients from their business concept or idea into a sustainable thriving com-pany. Businesses stay in incubation for an average of two to three years, but the goal is for them to become viable and success-ful enough to move out on their own and into commercial spaces.”

If accepted into the SEED Center, clients are offered low-cost office space

By Calvin Tyler

September 25, 201424 Vol. 6 • No. 13

with electricity, conference rooms, In-ternet, phones, and anything else a busi-ness would need office-wise. In addition, entrepreneur coaches and mentors are available to help guide them down the road to success. This is an opportunity many small or new business owners could use to get their ideas up and going.

Often, a good business idea may never come to fruition because space is an issue. Now, a business can start up in the SEED Center’s Incubator, grow, and graduate to move out into spaces of their own. The Incubator is a true grassroots job-creator if I’ve ever seen one.

Currently, there are 19 individual busi-nesses growing in the Incubator, includ-ing engineers, graphic artists, software developers, media producers, and even a fellow magazine publication. All of these small businesses are blessed with growth potential thanks to the SEED center.

One such business is Walker Wil-liams, a design firm currently working on the upcoming Chuck Fest, a new Lake Charles food and music festival which will be held downtown on October 4.

“As a new business, it’s sometimes dif-ficult to establish legitimacy,” said Tyler Walker. “No one’s heard of you. No one knows what it’s going to be like to work with you. But being a part of the Business Incubator is like having a well-known, trusted individual vouch for you. It’s like, ‘Yes, this is a new business, but they’re on the right path and establishing a solid foundation.’ No one brings a fly-by-night business to the Seed Center.”

“Once we moved into the SEED Center, things really began to pick up,” said his partner, Derek Williams. “We had a real office to go to every morning, not our living rooms. More importantly, Walker Williams could finally have meetings in an actual conference room. No one wants to talk to two guys about their website,

logo, etc. in Starbucks every time we needed to meet. Typi-cally, when we meet a potential new client, I’ll mention we have an office in the SEED Center and im-mediately they seem to trust us so much more. It helps to have a group of peo-ple behind you who believe in your business just as much as you do.”

Two of the first businesses to enter the SEED Incubation Center have al-ready graduated from the program and have moved their offices to the Calcasieu Marine Bank in the historic downtown area of Lake Charles. But the Incubation Center doesn’t just start at the “ready to form a business” level. It’s also getting students involved.

Student Innovation CenterDr. Nikos Kiritsis, Dean of the Mc-

Neese College of Engineering, and Janet Woolman, McNeese Executive Director of research, collaborated for over two years to develop a state-of-the-art Stu-dent Innovation Center on the premises.

This space, located at the main en-trance of the SEED Center, is dedicated to inspire meaningful creativity, encour-age student exploration for new frontiers, and stimulate economic development, according to Woolman. McNeese Univer-sity is so committed to this concept that they have created a minor degree in in-

novation, which is open to any McNeese student, no matter their major.

The Innovation Laboratory is a cus-tom-built ecosystem with non-linear writeable wall space, interactive technol-ogy, communication devices, a prototyp-ing center, and idea creation and com-mercialization tools designed to pioneer student invention through interdiscipli-nary collaboration.

“Innovation engineering students--who come from all disciplines--will be able to create prototypes from basic construction using Play-doh, weighted paper and casting material all the way to advanced prototyping using a 3D mill-ing machine,” Woolman said. “It is so exciting to see our collaborative efforts coming to fruition. Creating an enriched space with tools that stimulate and in-spire students from different disciplines has been a challenge. However, contrib-uting to economic development will ben-efit our students, as well as surrounding businesses and industry.”

September 25, 2014 25Vol. 6 • No. 13

The Innovation Engineering

ProgramInnovation Engineering is a program for

McNeese students who are interested in learning a systematic approach to innova-tion. The courses are designed to help you create, communicate and commercialize your ideas. Whether you plan on working for an established organization or want to strike out on your own, the skills learned in Innovation Engineering will be invaluable to your career.

INOV 180: Innovation Engineering ICreate

The first course provides a systematic ap-proach to creativity, which is the foundation for students to understand how to generate innovative ideas in any field.

INOV 280: Innovation Engineering II

Communicate This course combines elements of several

disciplines: the clarity of professional writing, the precision of technical writing, and the expressiveness of creative writing.

INOV 380: Innovation Engineering IIICommercialize

Students work with real product and serv-ice ideas and create working prototypes to find the flaws of a design quickly and inex-pensively.

INOV 480: Innovation Engineering IV

Experience Weekly case studies and rapidly chang-

ing peer teams are used to generate ideas, articulate innovations through writing, and research potential technologies and markets in the context of real-world businesses or nonprofit organizations.

INOV 481: Innovation Engineering VProject

This course emphasizes the intensive appli-cation of concepts explored in earlier Innova-tion Engineering courses with the purpose of creating original project proposals.

INOV 482: Innovation Engineering VI

Make it Real Students will take their own idea from pro-

posal stage to prototype and beyond.

McNeese State University students watch as the state-of-the-art MakerBot Replicator creates a 3D prototype in the Student Innovation Center located in the SEED Center. McNeese’s

comprehensive innovation program encourages students from all majors to become innovative decision makers and problem solvers. From left are: Hannah Fogg, Sulphur, chemical engineer-ing; Lacie Petticrew, Iowa, animal science; Jennifer Thibodeaux, Sulphur, psychology; Andrew

LaCour, New Orleans, public relations; and Ben Jones, Jennings, mechanical engineering.

McN

eese

Pho

toThe Future is Bright

With Lake Charles and the sur-rounding areas poised for record growth, the SEED Center is here at the right time.

“Our region has long needed a one-stop center to encourage entre-preneurial and economic develop-ment within the five parishes of Al-len, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis, “ Swift explained. “The SEED Center is designed to provide an environment that stimu-lates small business formation, job creation and economic diversifica-tion while meeting the growing entrepreneurial needs of our region with spaces for small one-to-two person businesses up to larger busi-nesses and facilities for innovative technology companies. Our one-stop shop for economic development professionals, business assistance organizations and university business and engineering programs is THE place for business development and job creation.”

When it comes to business incuba-tion, it seems to be a noble and en-dearing task. The team at the SEED Center have their hearts in the right place, and it shows in every excited business owner in incubation. Their aspirations are being nurtured and fed, not unlike that of an acorn that could someday grow to be a mighty oak tree. Which begs the question...What’s in an acorn? The short an-swer: a forest. Each business is an acorn, and with the proper attention and care, they could grow to change the landscape of our region.

The SEED Center is a complex built to facilitate area growth by sup-porting the very idea of local people starting local businesses. If you are currently operating your business from your home or backyard shed, and would be interested in speaking with Adrian Wallace about taking up the opportunity to be involved with the SEED Center, please visit their website at www.seedcenterswla.com, or call (337) 433-0977 today.

September 25, 201426 Vol. 6 • No. 13

By Julie FayA festival is to Louisiana, like

peanut butter is to jelly. And last year’s Lake Charles Film Festival is expanding this year to include more fi lms, more fun and a music festival too! It may have a new name now as the Lake Charles Film and Music Festival, but it still off ers movies made by up and coming local fi lmmakers, workshops and now an entire day of music. And it makes perfect sense, really. Many famous fi lm-makers got their start with music videos. Spike Jonze and Michael Bay anyone? And many a record-ing artist had a song take off aft er being featured in a movie sound-track. Remember Don’t You Forget About Me from Simple Minds in Th e Breakfast Club or Eye of the Tiger by Survivor in Rocky III? You could probably list hundreds.

Th e Festival Kick-Off Party strives to off er a perfect blend be-tween the two mediums with short fi lm screenings, celebrities and live music by New Orleans rockabilly band “Gal Holiday & Th e Honky Tonk Revue.” So get your retro on or just come as you are ready to enjoy a night of fi lms you won’t see anywhere else and rock n’ roll served up with red lipstick and a lot of sass.

Th e Kick Off Party is only the beginning of the weekend. Th e entertainment starts October 10, from 7 p.m. to midnight at My Place American Pub on 630 W. Prien Lake Road.

Film FestivalSo, you can do just

about anything related to fi lm you want to do at this fest. Want to meet a celebrity? Wesley Eure who starred in the TV series Land of the Lost and was on Days of Our Lives for nine years will be there to answer any questions you may have about Hollywood.

Want to learn how to make your own TV series? Or

what about a web series on YouTube? Dennis O’Neill wrote, directed and stars in “Bail Out.” And he’ll be there to show you what it takes to create a series of episodes from the ground up.

Want to learn how to make a bloody eyeball fall out of its socket? Well, maybe we can’t do that but we can make it look like it did. Just sit in on our special eff ects makeup seminar to learn some gruesome new tips. And if you don’t make movies, that’s okay. You’ll have the coolest Halloween makeup on the block!

Are you a fan of the kind of animation used in movies like Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas or Th e Corpse Bride? Learn stop motion animation from award-winning Louisiana animator Al Bohl! It’s a fun way to jump into fi lmmaking, as last year’s workshop project was fi n-ished in time to show later in the festival.

Want to learn how to make a movie on a budget of Ramen noodles and still look good? Film director Jim DeVault doesn’t just teach from his head, he’s been there, done that and he’s sharing his secrets! Just like actor, writer, director Larry Wade Carrell, who returns this year to talk about his experiences making and promot-ing his fi lm and what his next steps are.

Want to know what it takes to be stared at on a

70-foot-wide screen? Acting coach Dean West can tell you what that feels like

and how diff erent it is from acting on stage.

Bring your imagination and get an insider’s peek at bringing a character to life on-

screen.Or maybe

you’re a scrib-bler? Th ere will be a screenwriting workshop. Or a history buff ? Historians Ed

and Susan Poole know Louisiana’s tie to the fi rst theater in the Unit-ed States and a whole lot more. Do you love print art? Th ere will be workshops on poster collecting and horror art by Felix Matos.

Or maybe you don’t want to make fi lms, you just want to watch fi lms. Th e lineup includes tons of movies by fi lmmakers on the rise! Horror fi lms, comedy fi lms, long fi lms, short fi lms, local fi lms and international fi lms--they’re all screening all day! Some of them were made by Southwest Louisiana natives, too. See all the fi lms you want, shake those celeb-rity hands and learn fi lmmaker tips at the workshops on October 11 at Central School on 809 Kirby Street from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Music FestivalInspired by the success of last

year’s festival, Executive Direc-tor Patrick Bennett took the next logical step in expanding it to include a Music Festival too! Some folks calls motion pictures “emotion” pictures and music is one of the swift est arrows to the heart. Not only do the kick-off parties and wrap parties feature live bands, but you’ll be able to feed your soul all day Saturday with fi ve live bands jamming throughout the day followed by more live music at the Sunday costume party.

Kick back with some beig-nets and coff ee and listen to this newest addition at the festival all day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside

Stellar Beans Coff ee Shop located at 319 Broad Street in downtown Lake Charles.

Film & Music Festival Awards Ceremony

Th e only thing more fun than discovering an unknown movie that tickles your fancy is to see it win a Scallywag award! Th ose shiny trophies will be given out starting at 6 p.m. inside Central School.

Festival Wrap PartyAnd once the awards are all

given out, you can party with the winners and chat with fellow workshop-goers and fi lmmakers at the Festival Wrap Party. Th e fun continues into the night with live music from “Tempura Cool” from 9 p.m. to midnight at Stellar Beans Coff ee Shop. And they’re holding the kitchen open all night just for us.

Movie Character Costume Party

If all the movies, workshops and interesting personalities sparked your creative juices, you can share that inspiration with everyone at the fi rst annual Movie Character Costume Party. Use those acting exercises and/or spe-cial eff ects makeup tips to party as your favorite movie character with more live music too! Get extra use out of this year’s Hal-loween costume from 1-4 p.m. at Stellar Beans Coff ee Shop.

Lake Charles Film and Music Extravaganza

The coveted Scalawag Award!

Photos by Daniel Castro

September 25, 201428 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Gallery Promenade Sept. 26

Gallery Promenade, the Arts Council of SWLA’s annual gallery and museum showcase, returns on Fri., Sept. 26, from 5-9 p.m. This year, dozens of galleries and art spaces, from downtown Lake Charles to the McNeese campus to Sulphur to Moss Bluff, will open their doors for an extensive and cooperative art walk that features the area’s current exhibits and local artists. (337) 439-2787.

McNeese Faculty Exhibit Sept. 26 - Nov. 21

The McNeese State University Department of Visual Arts will host an opening reception for the annual faculty exhibition from 6-8 p.m. Fri., Sept. 26, in the Grand Gallery of the Shearman Fine Arts Annex. It will coincide with the citywide Annual Gallery Promenade 2014, and fea-tures 45 recent works by McNeese visual arts faculty members. (337) 475-5635.

Legally Blonde: The Musical Sept. 27, Oct. 3-4 & 10-12

Tickets are now on sale for ACTS Theatre’s newest production, Legally Blonde: The Musical. The show will open Sat., Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Other performances and times are: Fri., Oct. 3 and Sat., Oct. 4, both at 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 10 and Sat., Oct. 11, both at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee performance on Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. All perform-ances are held at ACTS Theatre, 1 Reid Street in Lake Charles. Pur-chase tickets at www.actstheatre.com or by calling (337) 433-ACTS. $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students with a valid ID.

Louisiana Dutch Oven SocietySept. 27

The South West Chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society an-nounces their monthly cookout theme, “Cooking Up a Storm” on Sat., Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Sam Houston Jones State Park. Bring your family and practice cooking techniques when the storms have blown out the electricity. Camp chefs will be using the old standbys: the Dutch Oven, the Coleman Stove and other rustic cooking methods. Just show up, cook, or bring an item for the buffet-style luncheon. www.ladutch.com.

St. Margaret Calca Chew FestivalSept. 28

This annual festival benefitting St. Margaret’s runs from 7 a.m.- 3 p.m. at St. Margaret Family Center, 17th and Enterprise in Lake Charles. Starts off with Mass followed by music, food, children’s games, silent and live auction, raffles, “Cake Boss” judging and more! www.stmarga-retcatholicchurch.com.

Bingo Night for Alzheimer’sOct. 3

Enjoy a night of bingo at Emeritus at 2420 Country Club Rd. from 6:30-8:30 p.m. There will be great prizes from local sponsors and all proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. (337) 478-4030.

OLQHS Heavenly Fish FestOct. 4

The Our Lady Queen of Heaven School Heavenly Fish Fest is an an-nual fishing tournament for friends, families and fishermen! Fish from land, pier or boat, and weigh-in from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Prien Lake Park where there will be lunch for all to enjoy. All children participating receive a prize and there are prize packages for the top fish weighed in for each category. www.edline.net/pages/Our_Lady_Queen_of_Heaven.

Smokin’ on the Grove BBQ FestOct. 4

Enjoy a full day of BBQ challenges. Cajun, Country, Zydeco, and Out-law music will be performed throughout the day and BBQ dinners will be sold for $6 and $8. Noon- 7 p.m., the Grove @ Heritage Square in Sulphur. (337) 527-4500.

Wheels of Hope Charity Bike RideOct. 11

Wheels of Hope Charity Bike Ride is “letting the good times roll” on Sat., Oct. 11, 7:30 a.m., at St. Theodore’s Holy Family Catholic School in Moss Bluff to benefit St. Nicholas Center for Children, a local non-profit dedicated to providing services to children with autism and de-velopmental delays. Advanced registration is $35/adult and $15/child at Capitol Cyclery on Oct. 12, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., or online now at active.com. (337) 491-0800, stephanie@stnickcenter.org.

September 25, 2014 29Vol. 6 • No. 13

Sunrise Rotary Goes Country Oct. 11Sunrise Rotary Goes Country “Haggard Style” at the West Cal Events

Center in Sulphur on Oct. 11 from 8 a.m.-midnight. Enjoy an old-fash-ioned Country & Western dance featuring Marty Haggard, Greg Blan-chard and Brad Brinkley & Comfort Zone. Tickets are $25 and include jambalaya dinner. (337) 794-3113.

Kiddy Quad Runway Show Oct. 12Kiddy Quad Clothing will showcase their holiday clothing collection on

Sun., Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. at Springhill Suites by Marriott, 1551 W. Prien Lake Road, Lake Charles. Children ages 3 to 12 years old will blaze the runway! Tickets are $10 and include seats at the fashion show, as well as light hors d’oeuvres and music. Advance tickets: Eventbrite.com at Kiddy Quad Clothing Holiday Runway Show or (337) 309-0945.

Cal-Cam Fair Oct. 15-19The Cal-Cam Fair features everything from carnival rides to a

livestock show. There will be good food and games and attractions for both children and adults, along with a full roster of bands and other entertainment, as well as beauty pageants and wildlife exhibits. Festi-val hours are 4 - 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 5 p.m. - midnight Friday, 10 a.m. - midnight Saturday and 1- 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for ages 10 and older, children under 9 get in free. (337) 527-9371.

Women’s Commission Fall Conference Oct. 16The 2014 Women’s Commission Fall Conference is scheduled for

Thurs., Oct. 16, 9 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center. This year’s keynote speaker is Emmy-nominated TV personality Star Jones. Women will be able to participate in Zydeco aerobics and Zumba, and doctors and financial professionals will offer advice, training and networking opportunities. http://www.womenscommissionswla.com/fallconference

Art of Fashion Design V Oct. 16The Imperial Calcasieu Museum presents the original Art of Fashion

Design V - “Trio.” Local models will take to the runway in signature looks from Sophia’s, TeCi’s, and the Perfect Fit Boutique. Proceeds benefit the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. Will be held Thurs., October 16 at 6 p.m. in the L’Auberge Event Center. Welcome Reception in the Promenade with complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by L’Auberge Casino Resort. Show will begin promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40. Imperial Calcasieu Museum (337) 439-3797 or the Perfect Fit Boutique on Pujo St. (337) 433-5855.

La Familia Fashion Show Oct. 17La Familia presents their 5th annual fashion show, “Lights, Camera

& New York Fashion” at the Isle of Capri, Oct. 17. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Fashions from JCPenneys and Chico’s will be modeled by promi-nent community leaders! Tickets on sale now: $100 VIP, $65 Reserved. www.lfrc.eventbrite.com.

McNeese Diamond Jubilee Oct. 17Celebrate McNeese’s 75th anniversary with great food, open bar, spe-

cial performances by the McNeese Department of Performing Arts, silent auction, photo booth, a commemorative gift, VIP tour of the Budweiser Clydesdale Enhanced Stable Experience and music by The Backyard Cow-boys. Alumni Center from 6-9 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance and are available at the alumni office, the foundation office, alumni tail-gates, or at www.mcneesealumni.com/DiamondJubilee. Dress is casual. Come out in your blue and gold and show your support!

St. Jude Fun Run and Walk Oct. 18“Rowdy for a Cure: Steps for St. Jude 5K Fun Run and Walk” will be

held at 8 a.m. Sat., Oct. 18, in the McNeese State University Quad to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This event is sponsored by the McNeese student chapter of Cowboys for St. Jude. Fees are $15 for the public and $12 for McNeese students with IDs if paid by the early deadline of Oct. 3. Fees are $20 for the public and $15 for McNeese stu-dents with IDs through Oct. 18. www.facebook.com/mcneeseutd.

Ragley Heritage and Timber Festival Oct. 18Don’t miss the 16th annual Ragley Heritage and Timber Festival on

Sat., Oct. 18 at the Historical Square Pavilion, 6715 Hwy 12 in Ragley beginning at 10 a.m. Enjoy good food, entertainment, antique cars, wagon rides, petting zoo and so much more! The cost is $5 per car. (337) 725-3324.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Oct. 25The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be held Saturday, Oct. 25 at Prien

Lake Park in Lake Charles. Registration and check-in opens at 9 a.m.; opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Register today at alz.org/walk. No fee! There will also be a Jambalaya Cook-Off sponsored by SouthernCare Hospice to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Pre-registration ($100 per team) deadline is Oct. 17; $125 the day of the event. Call (337) 474-3743/540-7291 for cook-off info.

September 25, 201430 Vol. 6 • No. 13

By Jody Taylor, courtesy of LakeCharles.com

“It’s not the show to come and see a nice painting of a duck, un-less it’s Daff y.”

Eric Manuel is the creative director for the Henning Cultural Center at 923 Ruth Street in Sul-phur, and he’s talking about their upcoming pop art extravaganza, Chaos Th e-ory, which opens on Th ursday, October 2. Th is unique show hap-pens once a year, with submissions from young regional talent on a wide variety of cultural iconog-raphy.

Manuel recently talked with LakeCharles.com and off ered a preview of what to expect, includ-ing content from all realms of the geek universe, anything from Alien to the Mario brothers and beyond. Th is is fun art for the kid in all of us.

“At some local shows, you see a lot of traditional art: swamp scenes, alligators, fl eurs de lis,” he said. “But at Chaos Th eory, I fi nd that people can stop and talk about the pieces for hours.” Th ere is a universal resonance with these characters. As Manuel said, “People from California walk in

and they had the same experience with Batman as I had in little old Lake Charles.”

Besides a common, cross-regional bond, these heroes can teach a strong value system to kids. “Batman inspires in us the idea of doing right,” Manuel said. “He gives us a sense of morality.” Strong mythological characters

were de-picted as gods for ancient Greco-Roman children, and our modern day comic book and sci-fi movie heroes off er a similar function, an important

one in Manuel’s belief. “You don’t have to stop enjoying your child-hood when you grow up. Maybe those childish things are some of the best qualities in you.”

While visiting Henning Cul-tural Center, I saw several Chaos Th eory pieces, including two submitted by David McNeil: an intricate portrait illustration of Johnny Depp as Tonto in the new Lone Ranger and a framed cross stitch of all four Ninja Turtles, inspired by a screenshot from the infamous 1989 Nintendo side-scroller.

Other pieces for this year’s Chaos Th eory include works in-spired by Tool videos, a “kid-like”

drawing of Groot from Guard-ians of the Galaxy, and tattoo-style art from John Davis at Iron Cypress and Craig Cooley at Atomic Heart. Manuel’s wife Jennifer, also an artist, submit-ted a diff erent take on Adam West’s 1960s Batman, and high-schooler Georgia McNeil continues her streak of submis-sions to Chaos Th eory, fi rst showing artwork as an elemen-tary student.

Art isn’t the only thing you can buy at the show either. Keith Welch carved handmade wooden wands for Harry Potter

fans. “Instead of going to K-Mart and buying a plastic one, come to Chaos Th eory and get a real, handmade wooden wand,” Manuel said.

Malcolm O’Brien sculpted realistic Pokemon fi gures in a nod to his primary inspiration Ray Harryhausen, the legendary maker of stop-motion monsters for fi lm classics such as Clash of the Titans (1981) and Jason & the Argonauts.

Knowing the source of O’Brien’s muse, Manuel went to local collector Michael Breaux to borrow an accompanying piece: “So now I have an original autographed picture of this guy’s inspiration, Harryhausen working in his studio, to hang next to [O’Brien’s] art-work that will be on display,” he said.

Th e only real change in for-mat this year is the gathering of “offi cial” pieces in pop culture history, like autographed photos or original animated cels, to ac-company regional submissions. Manuel, along with Executive Director Th om Trahan, off ers this kind of recognition and guidance to SWLA artists, and Manuel feels strongly about maintaining an open door policy: “Th at’s only one of the good things about my job. I get

to help develop people that other-wise may get overlooked.”

“All you have to do is walk in and show me what you have,” he said. Valuable insights and practi-cal skills are readily available at

Henning, wheth-er it’s putting together a portfo-lio, framing and matting, or deal-ing with galleries for showing your works. Manuel compared this to an adventure game, inviting the creative and passionate to bring in their art and get leveled up for the next big boss battle.

Fandom is in Eric Manuel’s DNA. His brother Chris is also a career artist, and their father was a serious movie buff , a source of encouragement and experience with drawing and painting. Th ey reveled on Fridays,

The Spider by David McNeil

Holly by Christy Scothorn

Alien by Eric ManuelDynamic Duo by Jennifer Manuel

Batman by Eric Manuel

September 25, 2014 31Vol. 6 • No. 13

As someone who is tired of sequels, I have to say that Dolphin Tale 2 is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. And I see more than my share.

Seriously, how many sequels come out that are completely un-necessary? To be fair, A Dolphin Tale 2 is not strictly a sequel. It’s more like another installment in the life of Clearwater Aquarium, a real-life hospital dedicated to wildlife rehab, rescue, and release. Th e aquarium is a real place in Florida. Th e fi rst movie dealt with its acquisition of a very special dolphin, and two young workers there, Sawyer and Hazel.

To be fair, I’d forgotten how good Dolphin Tale 1 was. Hey, I’m an old man and that movie came out in 2011. In the present install-

ment, our young hero and dolphin expert Sawyer is faced with a true fi rst world dilemma: Either take a full paid summer scholarship in Aquatic Studies, or ditch it to stay at Clearwater. Th e problem is, the Aquarium is in trouble.

Winter, the bottlenose dolphin featured in the fi rst movie is the aquarium’s big dollar draw, and arguably keeps the whole complex afl oat (I meant solvent, sorry.) Winter has a deformed spine and survives through a special pros-thetic tail that allows her to swim and keep her body from deform-ing further.

Th e problem is; an aging com-panion dolphin to Winter, named Panama, dies suddenly. Winter be-gins refusing to wear her artifi cial tail. She can’t entertain and inspire

the public and the Aquarium may falter without her. To make matters worse, the Federal Gov-ernment requires all dolphins to be kept in captivity in pairs. Aft er all, it’s for the good of the animal. So Clearwater has 30 days to get a companion for Winter.

Th e story winds through some major issues, many of them deal-ing with fair and moral treatment of animals. It’s starting to sound more like a lecture than a movie, isn’t it? Yet the story gets so in-volved that I found I couldn’t fall asleep. Indeed, most of the theater was on the edge of its seat wonder-ing how things would work out. Remember, this is based on a true story, so it doesn’t have to have a Hollywood ending.

Further complicating Sawyer’s life is his coworker Hazel, a girl who obviously has a crush on him in a big way (is there any other way?) Th e friendship between these two kid/adults is just one of the human issues the movie deals with.

Th ank goodness the actors are up to the task. With Harry Connick, Jr. as Hazel’s father and founder of the Aquarium, we also have Ashley Judd as Sawyer’s mother. And Morgan Freeman plays the scientist who invented Winter’s tail, showing up to help out the distressed animal.

Th e young people in the

lead roles live up to an excellent script, with their relationship hit-ting just the right notes, avoiding a Disneyesque prince and princess type of caricature. In fact, this movie hits every right note you could imagine, and there are a lot of notes to hit.

Included in the credits are real life clips of wildlife rescues and releases by the Clearwater volun-teers and staff . But the movie is so magical; it couldn’t all be real, could it?

But the magic is in part due to the expert directing and writing in the movie, with none other than Toad from American Graf-fi ti in charge. Wait, his real name is Charles Martin Smith. But he really is the scooter-riding Toad. Watch for him playing a cameo in the movie.

A Dolphin Tale 2 is rated PG and is really suitable for all audi-ences. Your family and kids will love it. Enjoy!

A Dolphin Tale 2(Warner Brothers, Alcon, 2014)

as weekends were for “popcorn, Coca-Colas, video games, and comic books.” Th e Manuel family painted miniatures and explored their favorite spots like Indiana Jones in that cave: Bookworm’s Apple, Cajun Video, Paper He-

roes, Bob’s Jokes & Gags, or the Book & Media Ex-change. “We always had that inspiration feeding us,” he said. “How could we not be artists?”

Manuel landed a job as a helper at Henning Cul-tural Center aft er show-ing his artwork in the fi rst Chaos Th eory show. Th e board soon saw how valuable his talents were, both as an artist and for knowing a LOT of them. Th e position of creative director was created for him, and he’s been rallying the troops ever since.

It’s a tight-knit community of proud pop-art fan geeks, former outsiders…an abnormal concen-tration of them in fact, especially for a city the size of Lake Charles. Th ese true talents of all styles

come together at Chaos Th eory. “Normal folk think it’s just a goofy cartoon show,” Manuel said. “A lot of these kids spend an obscene amount of time develop-ing their submissions. Th ey draw upon things that resonate deep within them.”

Opening night for “the great-est art show in the galaxy” is Th ursday October 2 at 6 p.m.,

and the show will run through Th ursday, November 13.

Th e staff at Henning Cultural Center and the Brimstone Mu-seum work all year on a variety of events including Boudin Wars, car shows, and the Sulphur Mines Festival. For more infor-mation on any of their projects or exhibits, visit the website at www.brimstonemuseum.org.

Tangled by James Jessen

Celebration by Jim Ferguson

September 25, 201432 Vol. 6 • No. 13

There are several kinds of “good” books: the book that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the nail-biting finale; the book that rolls out a magic carpet and carries the reader off to other worlds; the book that introduces characters so real you wake up thinking they might be in the room; the book you read again and again because it speaks directly to your soul. Less and less in this publish-anything age, does one come across a book that makes one want to be a better person, or forces the reader to examine his life by changing his per-spective, or brings tears of joy, simply from the beauty of its words. How often does a book do any of these things? All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr does many of them. This is the most beauti-ful book I’ve read in a while.

The story is set in Europe during World War II, mostly in the walled city of Saint-Malo, France. In 1944, it is the “final German strongpoint on the Breton coast” and has been occupied by the Germans for

four years.The story focus alternates

between a blind girl named Marie-Laure LeBlanc and a German boy named Werner Pfennig. We meet them in 1934, at ages 6 and 7, respec-tively, before Marie-Laure goes blind, and while the orphaned Werner and his sister are fac-ing a bleak future in a coal-mining town. Werner has a brilliant, curious mind, but he knows his fate is to work in the mines. When he finds a radio, he “feels as if he has been launched into a different existence, a secret place where great discoveries are possible, where an orphan from a coal town can solve some vital mystery hidden in the physical world.”

Marie-Laure’s father is a locksmith for a Paris museum. When his daughter loses her sight, he carves a miniature of their neighborhood for her to memorize, to make it easier to find her way around town. But the model is not alive: “The real one presents an amphi-theater of noise and fragrance:

What Makes a Book Good?in the fall it smells of traf-fic and cas-tor oil, bread from the bak-ery, camphor from Avent’s pharmacy, delphiniums and sweet peas and roses from the flower stand. On winter days it swims with the odor of roasting chestnuts; on summer evenings it becomes slow and drowsy, full of sleepy conversations and the scraping of heavy iron chairs.”

Marie-Laure cannot see, but “In her imagination, in her dreams, everything has color. The museum buildings are beige, chestnut, hazel. Its scientists are lilac and lemon yellow and fox brown. Bees are silver; pigeons are ginger and auburn and occasionally gold-en. The huge cypress trees she and her father pass on their morning walk are shimmer-ing kaleidoscopes, each needle a polygon of light.” And “as the birds rush overhead, she imagines she can feel the light

settling over their wings, strik-ing each individual feather.”

This is the era of the rise of the Nazis, and the radio waves Werner loves are being used as a tool of propaganda. “Radio: it ties a million ears to a single mouth. Out of loudspeakers ... the staccato voice of the Reich grows like some imperturbable tree; its subjects lean toward its branches as if toward the lips of God.”

At 15, Werner goes through brutal training to become a proper Nazi youth. Among the chilling moments featuring the Germans is the time the commandant tells the boys, “Minds are not to be trusted. Minds are always drifting to-ward ambiguity, toward ques-

September 25, 2014 33Vol. 6 • No. 13

tions, when what you really need is certainty. Purpose. Clarity. Do not trust your minds.” Werner hears the wind at night, “wind, the com-mandant loves to remind them, that comes all the way from Russia, a Cos-sack wind, the wind of candle-eating barbarians with hogs’ heads who will stop at nothing to drink the blood of Ger-man girls. Gorillas who must be wiped off the earth.”

When the Nazis invade Paris, Marie-Laure and her father travel to Saint-Malo, where they hope to be safe. But in 1944, she finds herself crouching in fear as “a ghastly creep-ing terror rises from a place beyond thoughts.”

I could just weep for joy at the beauty of this book, the words so often like poetry.

(“A voice on the radio offering a loom on which to spin his dreams.” Seriously. Gorgeous.)

Several times I stopped and wrote myself a note such as “Dear God, look at the way he writes.” The author mines all the senses -- sight, sound, smell, touch, taste -- as well as the imagination. He speaks of people caught up in events out of their control, of greed and its op-posite, of the futility of war, the endurance of the human spirit.

If you love words, get this book. You’ll want to read it again and again. You’ll want to sip it, roll the words around your tongue, inhale it, share it.

Jacob’s Oath by Martin Fletcher is also set in the shadow of World War II. It’s 1945, and Jacob has man-aged to survive the barbarity of Bergen-Belsen concentra-tion camp. After the camp is liberated, he makes his way

home to Heidelberg. But what IS home when everything you

own has been taken from you, including your family? What does it mean to RETURN when absolutely nothing is the same as it was?

Along the way, he meets Sarah, who has also lost everything. Out of need, the two form a kind of family, fall in love, and begin to put the scraps of life back together. But Jacob can’t forget the promise he made to his dy-ing brother Maxie -- that he would find and kill the Nazi beast that murdered Maxie. When Jacob sees that mur-derer in the street, he becomes obsessed with revenge. Can he to go through with it? Will he lose his new love because of it? Or will he lose his own life?

This is an excellent, though disturbing, tale of a choice between love and revenge, the past and the future. Find it on Macmillan Audio.

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Louise Ruehr.

September 25, 201434 Vol. 6 • No. 13

By Jody Taylor, Courtesy of LakeCharles.com

Folks, get ready for Chuck Fest, coming your way Saturday, October 4. This block party right in the heart of downtown Lake Charles is free to attend and features exclusively local bands, restaurants, artists, vendors, and more. Dave Evans, owner/operator of the Luna complex and organizer of Chuck Fest, said, “I want to showcase us, as a community, as busi-nesses that were born and raised here.”

The first year of this new festival also happens to be Luna’s 10th anniversary, an enormous milestone for a locally-owned restaurant/live music venue downtown. In celebration of this achievement, I decided to take a look back with the man who built it all.

The personal highlights for Dave Evans include seeing over 1000 people on the street downtown for pub crawls & Hal-loween parties, and the culinary features on Luna in Loui-siana Cookin’ and Louisiana Life magazines. This is spot on because his two main passions with the Luna complex are live music and food.

Evans’ experience in small business operation goes back to his childhood, as his parents Tim and Patricia owned La Normandie Lounge and Dave’s Oyster House. “I’ve been do-ing this since I was 13,” he said. “Being there as a kid flipping burgers, shucking oysters, helping in the kitchen. I didn’t go to culinary school and I’m fine with that, because I learned in the kitchen.”

Dave later decided it was time to run his own place. He simply called the new spot Dave’s Pub and opened the doors on midtown Ryan Street in the late 90s. Within a couple of months, he noticed the crowds getting bigger, lots of familiar faces. Dave’s Pub didn’t serve food, but the live music was kicking, and Dave helped support the Lake Area’s original music scene considerably, as he still does.

But alas, all good things must come to an end, and so went Dave’s Pub. We sure sent that place out with a bang though.

I’ll never forget the epic party on his last night of business: jamming with Frigg A-Go-Go and Pink Noise until the end of the night…standing in a couple inches of water that covered the entire place, drinking Mike’s Hard Lemonade because it was the only thing left, saying goodbye to our home base as college students.

The great news is that Dave wasn’t through. This time around, he set up shop on Prewitt Street behind OB’s, re-christening as Luna Bar & Grill and serving that incredible food. Luna moved to its current prime location downtown after Hurricane Rita and later increased its concert options by expanding into Luna Live across the street, which helped with strict noise ordinance issues in the downtown area at the time.

Looking back on those early days, Dave remembers the hard work and countless hours. “I wasn’t just the owner. I was the grill cook, the dishwasher, the manager on duty,” he said. Dave built it all: the menu, the logo, the atmosphere.

With a celestial theme in mind while brainstorming on a name for the new place, he briefly considered a lyric from Widespread Panic referencing a “Moon-Times Bar & Grill”, until being struck with inspiration while watching TV with his oldest daughter Cassidy, then 6 years old. The show was Bear and the Big Blue House, featuring a character named Luna. It wasn’t long before more ideas were popping off: the sandwiches are named after planets…‘Little Dipper’ and ‘Big Dipper’ are the two sizes of spinach & artichoke dip…we can use the word ‘stellar’ a lot.

Stepping outside the theme and continuing the tradition started by his parents, Dave named several menu items after family members, connecting and immortalizing them in his own special way. There’s the Filet Patricia and Filet Timothy for his parents, the Filet Nanette for his wife, and for his kids: Tuna Cassidy,

September 25, 2014 35Vol. 6 • No. 13

Chicken Ella, and Red Fish Ian. “I think it’s so cool,” Nanette said. “Our kids say how their friends and teachers go to Luna and order their dish. It makes them feel really special and they sometimes argue over whose dish is better.”

Dave attributes the success of Luna in part on the full at-mosphere, that combination of great food (Louisiana cuisine with a hint of Californian-style influence), good music, and a laid-back hippie vibe that’s pulled directly from Dave’s single-guy room, concert posters and all.

Rumors were going around that Luna Bar & Grill would soon open a third location in south Lake Charles, but Dave broke the news that plans for this location had fallen through, at least for the moment. “The numbers are way bigger than I could possibly imagine spending on someone else’s building,” he said. “It’s got to be a really good situation. I want to know that the property and the building is mine.”

He’s in no rush to expand. There’s plenty of work with the current Luna’s, plus Dave is able to enjoy more time with his family, coach his son’s flag football team, and play in his own band, The Good Wood. He’s also focusing on bringing the brands of Luna Bar & Grill and Luna Live into greater harmony. Live is now serving lunch and will soon expand to dinner, serving the same great sandwiches and salads as Bar & Grill, essentially creating an “extended seating area” in the underutilized space. Keep your eye on LakeCharles.com for an Outlawz Foodie Review soon.

“The future is amazingly bright,” Dave said, and for now he’s content to take a breath, spend a moment in celebration of Luna’s 10th anniversary, and help shine a light on other homegrown businesses and culture, some points of pride in our Lake Area at the ready to entertain and sustain the prom-ised masses.

Chuck Fest, Oct 4, is free to attend. A stage will sit at each corner of the block so the music will never stop, and food & vendor booths will be located in the parking lot next to Gigi’s. For more information, including a full list of the fifteen bands performing, visit ChuckFestLA.com.

September 25, 201436 Vol. 6 • No. 13

The Good Wood

North Stage @ 6 p.m.Handmade music with a Grateful

Dead, hippie vibe.

Lake City Free Throw ChampsNorth Stage @ 8 p.m.

Five juicers, brothers and band-mates putting together some sweet jams for your listening pleasure.

SinnersNorth Stage @ 2 p.m.

American music, pure and simple. You like country music? Rock and Roll? Th at’s cool, so do we.

Frayed Soul

South Stage @ 1 p.m.

Rock and soul and blues is their type of boogie.

Street Side Jazz

BandNorth Stage

@ NoonTraditional style

jazz, which includes swing, blues, Latin, ballads and funk.

In LiquidLuna Live Stage

(indoors) @ 6:30 p.m.Hard rock power trio from Lake

CharlesLingus

South Stage

@ 5 p.m.Lingus is a band

you must check out.

The Von DukesLuna Live Stage (indoors) @ 5:30 p.m.

Rockabilly!

John Guidroz Band

North Stage @ 4 p.m.Th is Louisiana-based singer/

songwriter has been entertaining crowds with his highly-charged acoustic shows for nearly a decade.

Thingfi shSouth Stage @ 3 p.m.

Funk jam band.

September 25, 2014 37Vol. 6 • No. 13

VectionLuna Live Stage

(indoors) @ 8:30 p.m.Heavy rock from Lake Charles.

Bujie & The HighriseLuna Live Stage (indoors) @ 10:30 p.m.

Reggae and Ska

The Dark Side

of the Lake

North Stage

@ 10 p.m.Pink Floyd tribute

band from Lake Charles. Th eir setlist contains al-most the entire Th e Wall and Dark Side Of Th e Moon albums.

Large Marge

Luna Live Stage (indoors)

@ 9:30 p.m.Hard rock band

from Lake Charles.

The YamsSouth Stage

@ 9 p.m.Th e Yams are a coun-

try band out of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Oh, RhienLuna Live Stage (indoors) @ 7:30 p.m.

Th e Lake Charles sextet fuses progressive rock, metal, and post-rock into a harmonious mix sure to quicken the pulse of its listeners.

Rootbeer & Mermentau

South Stage @ 9 p.m.Fuzz Rock at its best.

September 25, 201438 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Thursday, Sept. 25Thursday Dollar Night@ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar all nightFree cover til 10 p.m. w/College ID5329 Common St., Lake Charles

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

Backyard Boys7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

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

Friday, Sept. 26Tom & Mitch7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

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

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

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

Mojeaux9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

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

Drivin Dixie9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

Live Music9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Mickey Huber’s BACK with another great show in a fabulous new venue! Sax In the City tickets are available now at Swice-good Music and Bearden’s Music for $10 through Saturday 9/27 and will be art$15 at the door. Your Sax In the City ticket includes general admission seating to the concert, as well as light hors d’oeuvres. There will also be a cash bar that night for your pleasure. Come join Mickey and the SITC House Band along with guest vocalist Linda Staves for an evening of smooth jazz and R&B Soul at Chateau du Calcasieu (932 Enterprise Blvd. Lake Charles). This is the HOTTEST ticket in town....SAX IN THE CITY!

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Musicmakers2U: a local non-profit that provides musical instruments to local children in need.

Find out more at http://www.music-makers2u.org.

Huber “Mickey” Smith

The Jambalaya News Presents Sax in the City Sept. 28

September 25, 2014 39Vol. 6 • No. 13

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

Earphunk10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

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

Saturday, Sept. 27Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

Travis Corbello & Dustin Landry7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

Mojeaux9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Tyler Darby & Train Wreck9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

Reed Planchard9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Casino)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

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

Larry Tillery & The Vagabond Dreamers9 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

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

Live Music9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

Live Music9:30 p.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

Sean Ardoin10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

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

Sunday, Sept. 28Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Brian Racca5 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059(Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

Tuesday, Sept. 30Karaoke Night7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

DJ Verrett8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

September 25, 201440 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Wednesday, Oct. 1Louisiana Night & Abita Pint Nite$2 Louisiana Beers $3.50 Louisiana Spirit/Cocktails6 p.m. - Midnight @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

3 Hour Tour7 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Brian Racca, Jr.8 p.m. - 11 p.m. @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

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

Thursday, Oct. 2Live Piano6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

Katelynn Johnson Band7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

Thursday Dollar Night@ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer and Bar all nightFree cover til 10 p.m. w/College ID5329 Common St., Lake Charles

DJ Sno11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Friday, Oct. 3Live Piano7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

Adam Pearce7 p.m. - 11 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

The LACS9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

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

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

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

Michael “Blackbird” Fruge9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

The Flamethrowers9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

Bag of Donuts10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

September 25, 2014 41Vol. 6 • No. 13

DJ Sno11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Dancing11:30 p.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., Lake Charles

Saturday, Oct. 4Flashback5 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059, Lake Charles

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

Live Music9 p.m. - 1 a.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House, 3622 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Slim Harper9 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

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

The Fall SceneTh ere’s so much going on this fall, so let’s get to it!One of the most anticipated arts events of the

season is Gallery Promenade presented by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Loui-siana. It’s scheduled for September 26 from 5-9 p.m. and covers everything from Lake Charles’ downtown district to McNeese State University’s campus and even the many unique districts of Sulphur. Th is event focuses on local artists, cur-rent exhibits and businesses that support the local art scene. I know so many people forget to mark their calendar and kick themselves for missing it. For more details, visit www.artscouncilswla.org or call (337) 439-2787.

Birthdays are typically something that we look forward to celebrating even when they are not our own. I’m excited about Ross Soileau’s 25th birth-day party, which will be hosted by Neon Natives slated for Friday, October 3 at Cowboys Lake Charles at 9 p.m. Th is party is open to the public and will undoubtedly be a fun-fi lled night.

My love for supporting local is immeasurable, so when I learned about Chuck Fest and discov-ered that over a dozen bands would be perform-ing, I wanted to announce to the world that a new music-focused festival was coming to Lake Charles. Luna Bar & Grill is marking a milestone anniversary next month and to celebrate, owner Dave Evans decided to implement something he has envisioned for years. Chuck Fest also serves as a fundraiser for the Tipitina’s Foundation, which assists schools and young musicians by funding instruments. Walker Williams, a newly formed design fi rm created amazing posters, ads and billboards. For more information, turn to page 34 in the JAM.

Another exciting event coming up is the Lake Charles Film Festival, held October 10-12. Th is year, music will be added to the weekend lineup

and is being organized and hosted by Stellar Beans Coff ee House & Edibles. Venues such as My Place American Pub located at 630 West Prien Lake Road are being utilized for social events outside of the standard Central School location where the seminars, workshops and independent fi lm screenings will be held. For the complete list and more details, visit www.lakecharlesfi lmfesti-val.com.

Fall Fashion EventsTo my knowledge, the fi rst public fashion event

of the season is Alexander & Burris’ Lace & Lin-gerie Halloween Fashion Show with music by DJ Jose Mata. It takes place on Friday, October 10 at 8 p.m. at 3topia (409 West Prien Lake Road). For more information, call (678) 763-4532. Next up is Indrea Gordon’s Kiddy Quad Holiday Runway Show on Sunday, October 12 at 5 p.m. at Spring-hill suites by Marriott, 1551 West Prien Lake Road. For details, call (337) 309-0945.

On Th ursday, October 16 at 6 p.m., the Imperi-al Calcasieu Museum will present the original Art of Fashion Design V – “Trio” at L’Auberge Casino Resort. Th e show serves as a fundraiser for the museum while featuring local fashion retailers. For more information, call (337) 439-3797. Th e fi nal fashion event that I am looking forward to is La Familia’s Fashion Show Extravaganza: “Lights, Camera & New York” on October 17 at 6:30 p.m. Th is year, it will take place at the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles. Th is show also serves as a fundraising event for La Familia Resource Center and you may call (337) 312-2906 for ad-ditional details.

On a side note, I would like to thank everyone who supported our kick-off show for our MAS (Music Artist Showcase) Fall Series events. Be sure to keep a close eye for upcoming events, including a special anniversary party on October 22 at Th e Center Stage. We are showcasing local music artist Ralph Rhymes as our main per-former, but there are additional performance slots available. If you’re interested in performing, email me at laonairwithbrayj@gmail.com.

As always, thank you, Southwest Louisiana, for continually progressing and being open-minded. Please join me and my co-hosts Bryana Domingue, Jacob Terracina for your ‘Morning Wake Up’ every weekday from 6-10 a.m. on KBYS 88.3 FM and online at kbys.fm. If you are inter-ested in volunteering or making a tax-deductible contribution, visit the station’s website for more information.

September 25, 201442 Vol. 6 • No. 13

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

The Flamethrowers9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Pat Ryan Band9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

Bronco Jr.9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Casino)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

Kory Fontenot9 p.m. - Midnight @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

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

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

Live Music10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake CharlesDJ Sno11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Sunday, Oct. 5Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Live Music5 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059

(Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

Monday, Oct. 6Karaoke Night10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

Tuesday, Oct. 7Street Side Jazz Band5 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

Karaoke Nightwith DJ Verrett7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., Lake Charles

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

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

Wednesday, Oct. 8Louisiana Night & Bayou Rum Night$2 Louisiana Beers $3.50 Louisiana Spirit/Cocktails

6 p.m. - Midnight @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # GLake Charles

Chris Miller & Bayou Roots6:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), Lake Charles

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

Joe Ecker8 - 11 p.m. @ The Cigar Club1700 E Prien Lake Rd, Lake Charles

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

Thursday, Oct. 9Bigg Redd & Creole Soul7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

DJ San-D11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, Lake Charles

September 25, 2014 43Vol. 6 • No. 13

By Jody Taylor, courtesy of LakeCharles.comMusic sales in general have been slowing for a while, but inter-

est in vinyl has steadily been on the rise since 2006. Last year’s U.S. numbers saw CD sales drop 14 percent and digital tracks were down by 5.7 percent, but album sales went up over 30 percent. Our numbers are growing.

So what are some options in the Lake Area for buying music? Gone are the days of locally owned record shops like Bookworm’s Apple, Harvest Records, or Alternative Static, at least for now. Of course, there’s downloads or online purchases, and you might find a few CDs from the top of the charts at Best Buy or other big boxes. Perceptive music fans already know that Books-A-Million and Hot Topic sell LPs locally, but respectively, the prices are too high and the selection is way too small.

The cure to Lake Area vinyl collector woes is just a short drive up I-10 east to the Frog Capital of the World, Rayne, Louisiana, also home to Christine Stelly’s No-Name Vinyl Records. This locally-owned resale shop, open since May of 2013, boasts an inventory of around 60,000 albums in all sizes, speeds, and genres. Lafayette and its surrounding regions have several choice record stores, but Miss Stelly’s place is the closest to Lake Charles and the most bargain-friendly.

No-Name’s selection is mostly classic rock, country, and soul, with prices ranging $1-3 on most records. Price quotes could be higher on premium titles, rare finds, or in-demand genres like blues and Cajun, but Christine is always open to counter offers. “I go between my head and the price books,” she said. “I want [my records] to go where they’re going to be appreciated. The prices are just suggestions.”

Th e majority of No-Name’s stock comes from Christine’s own personal fi nds from over 40 years of hunting. “I’ve never done downloads in my life,” she said. “I never quit with records.” She had always wanted to open a shop, and one day her husband suggested it was time to take the house back from their enormous amount of albums. “I still treasure every one of ‘em, but it got to be so many in my personal collection, I didn’t even know what I had,” Christine said. It was then a short leap from renting booths at a fl ea market to opening the shop on 215 N. Polk Street.

To supplement her own collection for sale in the store, Christine acquired a large portion of stock from another area music shop that shut its doors, plus the regular hunts at garage sales and flea markets, and the small collections from occasional walk-ins, keeping inventory fresh.

Christine admits it’s sometimes hard to let go of her favorites. She told a story about sell-ing her very first records, Wizard of Oz, Happy Birthday & Other Children’s Songs, and Puff the Magic Dragon, in the shop. “Some kids gonna love ‘em,” she said. “That’s why I let them go.”

You won’t find her Pink Floyd collection in the shop, though. Christine values the band, because their music brings her family together. “My husband and I both love them,” she said. “It spans three generations. My kids and grandkids all listen to Pink Floyd. All my kids grew up surrounded by records.”

So what makes vinyl a better listening experience? Many will claim it’s the warmer sound, and others love the bigger artwork on inserts and sleeves. Of course, a lot of the fun is in the hunt, too, flipping through countless copies of Whipped Cream & Other Delights or Boston reprints for the breathtaking moment when you spot that rare beast you’ve been stalking for months, maybe years. I’ve got records on my want list that I could easily purchase from Amazon or Discogs, but I’m addicted to that feeling of the find…and the finds are ripe at No-Name Vinyl.

Check out the shop’s page on Facebook for more infor-mation, and stay tuned to LakeCharles.com for more on vinyl hunting in Louisi-ana. Also, Stellar Beans has brought back Vinyl Night! The event started on Septem-ber 11, and continues on the second Thursday of every month. Come out, bring your vinyl, and let’s talk music.

September 25, 201444 Vol. 6 • No. 13

USS Orleck Becomes The Bludd Vessel Oct. 4-Nov. 1Th e USS Orleck Naval Museum becomes the Bludd Vessel—an experiment in terror--start-

ing Oct. 4, every Th ursday, Friday, Saturday as well as Tues., Oct. 30 and Wed., Oct. 31. Prepare yourself for suspense, chills and frights for 15-18 haunted minutes if you come out alive! Gates open at 6 p.m.; ship hatches open at 7 p.m.; Ticket sales close at 11 p.m. $15 general admission (337-) 214-7447. No child under 10 allowed.

The Lost Hollows Oct. 3- Nov. 1With a choice between the terror-fi lled Deadly Pines trail

or the family-oriented Spooky Timbers trail, you are sure to have a night fi lled with scares and screams. Begin your journey with a hayride from Spirit Halloween, 3413 Derek Drive, Lake Charles, and travel to the creepiest woods in SWLA. Tickets are available online (losthollows.com) and at Spirit Halloween. Th e Spooky Timbers trail is for all ages and Deadly Pines is for those 13 and older.

Holy Trinity Episcopal Pumpkin Patch Oct 5-31

Th e Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Pumpkin Patch will be open Oct. 5- 31 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. weekdays and Satur-days, and noon- 6 p.m. Sundays. School classes, families, etc., can bring children to Pumpkin Patch Storytime. Th ere are two classes on ten diff erent days. Call 527-5179 to schedule a Storytime visit. Picnics can be held in the Pavilion if prior arrangements are made. 1700 Maplewood Drive, Sulphur (337) 527-8787, (337) 625-4288.

Scarecrow Festival Oct. 8-Nov. 1See funny, wacky and weird scarecrows de-

signed by local businesses, groups and families at the 6th Annual Scarecrow Festival at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, Texas, beginning Oct 8. Visitors can vote for their favorite scarecrow and prizes will be awarded at the event fi nale, Autumn Fair, Sat., Nov. 1. Th e Autumn Fair event will include face painting, pumpkin decorating and a variety of fall-inspired games throughout the Gardens. www.shangrilagardens.org.

LC Little Theater Presents Macabaret Oct. 11-31

A kooky and spooky journey into the ma-cabre, Macabaret is a collection of humorous story-songs, which twist towards the morbid. Murderous spouses, horror fi lms, evil cows, etc., are a few of the things parodied by a “Corpse de Cabaret” of the undead. A great addition to your season of screams! Lake Charles Little Th eatre, 813 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles, Oct. 11-31 Fri.-Sun. Tickets: (337) 433-7988.

Central School Halloween Oct. 26Come out to the Central School Arts and

Humanities Center at 809 Kirby Street, Lake Charles, Sun., Oct. 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. for a family-friendly haunted house. Creepy characters, evil witches and mad scientists will lurk around every corner. Each child will receive a sweet treat and can enjoy get-ting their faces painted by the S.J. Welsh Art Club. Come dressed up in your Halloween best! Donations to Friends of Central School are welcome. (337) 439-2787.

$10,000 Halloween Costume Contest & Party at Jack Daniels Bar & Grill at L’Auberge Oct. 31! Doors open at 9 p.m.; registration 9 - 10:30 p.m. Winners announced at 11. Entertainment by The Chee-Weez! $15 cover charge. Must be 21 to enter Jack After Dark and casino. (337) 395-7777.

Jack Daniels Halloween Party Featuring The Chee-Weez Oct. 31

family-friendlySPOOKHOUSE

September 25, 2014 45Vol. 6 • No. 13

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

the player with the most boxes wins.

September 25, 201446 Vol. 6 • No. 13

Taylor and DeeDee Johnson with Melinda Hicks Kimberly, Brooklyn and Kaitlyn Little

Ioma Ashworth, Scarlett Pine and Alexis PresleyMisty and Kale Welch

Grace Richert, Ashley Lopez and Sarah Palermo

ST. THERESA’S BON TON FESTIVALThe 30th annual St. Theresa’s Bon Ton Festival

was held on the church grounds in Carlyss. This family event helps raise money for operating expenses for the church. From the carnival rides,

to the live music to the petting zoo and garage sale, there was something for everyone.

A good time had by all!

Ami, Shane and Amber JohnsonDarlene Doughafty, Wanda Parker

and Unita Ratcliff

Addy Tremie and Abby LobueChezy and Pollex Coleman, Sherie Richmond

and Hunter Coleman

Enjoli Fontenot with William and Sherman Corbello and Amy Hastings

CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS DAYIt was the third Annual Colors for a Cause for

Childhood Cancer Awareness Day at Pinederosa Park in Westlake. It was a fun day in the park with live music, fun jump, face painting, games and splash

park along with the 5K run and walk. A day of love and support for Louisiana children and families

battling cancer.

September 25, 2014 47Vol. 6 • No. 13

Harley Duhon and Skip Schaefer Machella and Mark Duhon

Jane Morrison and Luke McKinney

Elizabeth, Scarlett and Harley Duhon with Payton Waldrum and Heather Griffith

MIDNIGHT FANTASIES LAKEFRONT TOUR SHOW

The 23rd annual Midnight Fantasies Car Show was held Lake Charles Burton Coliseum, showcasing hundreds of fabulous classic

to modern show vehicles, antique campers and motor homes. There was also fun a car/truck barbeque cook-off , crank-up contest,

truck pulls, music, food, games, fun jumps for the kiddos and soooo much more for all!

Myron Leleux, Garland Peck, Chad Richard and Edward Cretien

Lafitte’s Ladies Dianna Waldroup, Jessica Horton, Tarin Bowlin, Jamie Fuselier and Alicia Bryant

Jewel Vegas and Meri Perkins Melissa McGinnis and Blake Pattie

Brandon McDuffie and Whitney Courville Caitlyn Jackson and Sydney Garcia

LAFITTE LADIES ROLLER DERBY The Lafi tte Ladies of Lake Charles were

rolling again at The Grindhouse at 932 Enter-prise Blvd., playing in front of a packed house of supporters out to enjoy the thrills and spills

as the Ladies (recently celebrating the two-year anniversary) took on the Acadiana Roller girls

of Lafayette. It was fl at track roller derby at its best. See ya next month!