December 18, 20142 Vol. 6 • No. 19

December 18, 2014 3Vol. 6 • No. 19

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December 18, 2014 • Volume 6 • Issue 19

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

Publisher/Executive EditorLauren de Albuquerquelauren@thejambalayanews.com

ContributorsNicole Shuff ArabieGeorge ClineAngie Kay DilmoreDan EllenderJulie Ann FaySam HebertMike McHughRoger MillerMary Louise RuehrKarla TullosDavid Yantis

Salessales@thejambalayanews.com

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 STORY22 Abraham’s Tent: The Gift of Giving

REGULARS6 We Are SWLA!8 The Dang Yankee8 Adoption Corner9 Tips from Tip10 Huntin’ Tales13 Stir Dat Pot14 Soul Matters15 A Ruff Life

FEATURES5 Give a Gift that Lasts a Lifetime

12 Real Simple Money Talk

18 Golden Nugget is Open!

THE SPICE OF SWLA26 Event Guide

28 Family Fun Night at the Movies

29 Acting Up!

30 Red Hot Books

32 Nightlife Guide

37 Mickey Smith’s Passion

40 Society Spice

43 Funbolaya

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On cover: Abraham’s Tent’s New Facility

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December 18, 20144 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Th e old year is ending, and a brand new one is taking its place, full of hope and prom-ise.

Some years are better than others. Some are not. Person-ally, I am glad that this one is over. It’s always exciting to move forward and look ahead, and what better time to do it?

I’ve done a lot of refl ecting this year, and there are changes that I would like to make—on my terms, off course. I certain-ly can’t resolve to eat less, not when the Mardi Gras season is right around the corner, which means just as much eating (and a lot more drinking) than Christmas and New Year’s put together. Bring on the Mardi Gras balls—I believe I am go-ing to seven this year. Maybe more.

Not to mention crawfi sh season will be in full swing and I intend to eat my fi ll. I look forward to these tasty crusta-ceans all year. Hot and juicy, dipped in tangy sauce. Ain’t it grand to live in Louisiana?

And I’m not going to start exercising because I am al-

lergic to any kind of physical activity. I’ve had this allergy for years, and there doesn’t seem to be any medication for it. What a shame.

But there are changes that I would like to make in my life. Starting now.

I’d like to spend more time alone. I need to take care of myself more. I need to rest and I need to relax. I want a peace-ful life, which I know is easier said than done. But at this stage of my life, it’s become a necessity.

How do we fi nd peace? It always starts from within. If there is turmoil on the inside, then there is no peace, no matter how easy your life is. Conversely, if your life is in chaos, then it’s pretty diffi cult to fi nd inner peace. Saints and yogis can do it, but I certainly am neither.

Such a conundrum.But think how important

peace is. If we have peace, then we have everything. Our world may be falling down around us, but if we can some-how maintain an inner tran-

quility as we sail the stormy seas of life, it will make all the diff erence.

Th en, there’s our outlook on life. If we’re fearful and pessi-mistic, we’ll attract more nega-tivity. We have to understand that even the most diffi cult events in our lives occurred for a reason, and were all part of the experience of living. No one ever promised us a rose garden.

Speaking of gardens, I re-member learning about Adam and Eve when I was probably in the fi rst grade. I came home from school sputtering about this perfect world where every-one was so happy and no one got sick that was just ruined by these two ingrates who had to go and do the one thing they weren’t supposed to do. “Why did they do that?” I wailed to my mother. If they hadn’t messed with that apple, my life would have been sublime. Peaceful. No worries.

My mother got a kick out of my reaction, and laughed even harder a few days later, when she ran into one of my school-mates. “I hear you learned all

about Adam and Eve,” she said to my friend Ann. She stopped dead in her tracks and scowled at my mother. “Th ose two!” Ann said with disgust. “Do you think they went to heaven?”

All I know is, I need to give peace a chance. Th e best way I can do this is to let go of the past, accept what I can-not change, forgive myself and others, and move on. And I wish the same for all of you, dear readers. May your holi-days be merry and bright, and may you all fi nd peace in the coming year.

______________________

We are giving our hard-working staff a few weeks off . Our next issue comes out Janu-ary 15. See you then!

A Note From Lauren

Lauren de Albuquerque

Let There Be Peace

December 18, 2014 5Vol. 6 • No. 19

The holiday season is upon us, the time to gather with loved ones to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year as a family. As we look at the gaily wrapped packages under our tree, we are reminded of how thankful we should be for all that we have in our lives. It is in that moment that we should also remember those who are not as blessed, as well as the age-old adage “It is better to give than to receive.” When you are shopping this season for gifts for your loved ones, we ask that you think about the members of your community who are less fortu-nate and what you can do to give them a happy holiday as well. Everyone deserves to have some-thing to look forward to, not just during the holiday season.

At Family & Youth, we work with children and their families who need and benefit from the services we provide, and who would not be able to access them without the generosity of others such as yourself. Your support makes all that Family & Youth does possible and also ensures that those services are available should you or your family need them.

Do you know a child who has lost a parent? Are the future spouses of your children victims of abuse and neglect and liv-ing in foster care? Is it possible your grandchild may be autistic? Does someone you know need counseling for family issues?

Many of us have prepared for the future in every way that we can imagine. By investing in Family & Youth, you invest in your own future, and the future of your loved ones should you or your family ever need the services that they provide.

For over 40 years, Fam-ily & Youth has been involved in “supporting family life…building a

stronger community” by pro-viding specialized services and more to individuals who rely on them. For over 40 years, people just like you have supported us in our mission. But the need continues, the need of individu-als in our community, the need for innovation as those needs change, and the need for your support so that Family & Youth can continue with its mission.

Over the years, Family & Youth has evolved to meet the changing needs of our commu-nity, ensuring programs such as the Autism Support Alliance, the Leadership Center, and Court Appointed Special Advo-cates continue to function, and creating new programs to meet identified needs, such as the Children’s Advocacy Center, who help children who have been sexually or severely physically abused; Children and Families Action Network, who advo-cate for children and families; and Human Services Response Institute, who provide services during natural disasters.

Most recently, Family & Youth’s grief counseling through the Shannon Cox Counseling Center, and the use of therapy dogs in our Children’s Advocacy Center, demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing the best possible services to those who need them. We could not do what we do without your sup-port. An investment in Family & Youth is an investment in your future and the future of those you love, and ensures that we will be here when you need us.

This holiday season, you can help someone, whether it is a stranger or a neighbor, have a “Happy Holiday” by donating to any of the divisions of Family & Youth. Twenty dollars will give a CASA child a Christmas gift; $50 will allow a grieving child to

receive counseling services from a Shannon Cox Grief Counselor, and a $100 donation will help a child who is a victim of sexual or physical abuse share their story so they can begin to heal and overcome the trauma.

As the amount of the tax deductible donation you give goes up, so does the impact you can make for a child in need, for your community, or for a loved one. To make a tax deductible donation to Family & Youth, visit www.fyca.com and click on “Back the Mission.” For more information call (337) 436-9533.

This season, instead of giving a gift that will only benefit one person in the moment, consider giving them a gift that will help them not only in the present, but in the years to come.

Give a Gift That Lasts a Lifetime

Donate to Family & Youth

December 18, 20146 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Entergy Supports Lake Charles EventsGreg Guilbeau, regional senior manager of customer service for

Entergy, presented Mayor Randy Roach with a check for $10,000 in support of several of the City’s community events as well as en-vironmental programs. Programs such as Team Green, Downtown at Sundown, Red White Blue & You, and the Light up the Lake Christmas Celebration rely strictly on corporate sponsorships such as Entergy’s.

Urologists Join Lake Area Physicians Medical GroupLake Charles urologists Dr. James Jancuska, Dr. Farjaad Siddiq

and Dr. Kenneth Ewane have joined Lake Area Physicians and the medical staff of Lake Area Medical Center.

James Jancuska, MD has been practicing medicine in the Lake Charles area since 1997. He graduated from Washington and Jeffer-son College in Washington, Pennsylvania and earned his medical degree from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Maryland.

Farjaad Siddiq, MD, is a graduate of Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. He earned his medical degree from Brown University School of Medicine, graduating among the top of his class. Dr. Siddiq is a board certified urologist with fellowship training in endourology, laparoscopy and robotic surgery. He has been practicing medicine in the Lake Area since 2004.

Kenneth Ewane, MD, earned a Doctor of Medicine and Mas-

ter of Health Administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. Ewane completed a surgical internship at the University of Texas at Houston De-partment of Surgery, as well as a residency at the Uni-versity of Texas at Houston Urology Division, where he was named Chief Resident.

Their medical practice, The Urology Center of Southwest Louisiana. is located at 234 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive in Lake Charles For more information, visit www.LakeAreaPhysicians.com or call (337) 439-8857.

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Honors Two Employees

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital recently recognized its November and December

Employees of the Month for 2014: Tristan Hager, human resources information systems specialist, and Zena Littleton, patient service representative.

Hager assists in the recruitment and in-terviewing process for all available positions, in addition to maintaining all personnel files and processing of both new and departing employees. She has been with the organiza-tion for four years. Littleton provides assist-ance and education to patients on their ac-counts, as well as maintaining patient billing records and collecting balances on patient accounts. She has been with the organization for two years.

CHRISTUS Donates to McNeeseCHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital donated $5,000 to the McNeese

State University Alumni Association to help sponsor 2014 Home-coming week activities.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Uses First Lutonix Drug-Coated Balloon in SWLA

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Interventional Cardiologist, Dr. Thomas Mulhearn utilized the first Lutonix ® 035 Drug Coated Balloon PTA Catheter (DCB) in Southwest Louisiana recently. CHRISTUS is proud to bring this technology to SWLA. Lutonix ® 035 Drug Coated Balloon PTA Catheter (DCB), the first and only

Zena Littleton

Tristan Hager

Mike Wittler (center), alumni association president, accepts the donation from CHRISTUS representatives Heather Hidalgo, left, director of marketing and communications,

and Donald Lloyd II, administrator. McNeese photo

December 18, 2014 7Vol. 6 • No. 19

DCB approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for minimally invasive treatment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Successful treatment of PAD requires improved blood flow (pat-ency) for longer periods of time. A recent clinical study demon-strated superior primary patency with the Lutonix ® 035 DCB for the efficacy endpoint.

Family and Youth Receives EndowmentThe Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, the endow-

ment arm of Family and Youth Counseling Agency Inc. received an endowment for $5,000 from Ann and Steve Kuypers and children. The endowment will benefit the programs of Family & Youth. The Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana serves as the endowment arm of Family & Youth. For more information, call 337-436-9533.

Magnolia LNG Donates to Junior AchievementMagnolia LNG recently donated $2,000 to Junior Achievement

of Southwest Louisiana in support of the 2015 Capital One JA Finance Park literacy program. Over 1,500 seventh through twelfth grade students from Calcasieu and Cameron parishes are regis-tered to participate in the program simulation to be held at Citgo Park in January.

Phillips 66 Hosts Chateau du Lac Christmas CelebrationA team of employee volunteers from the Phillips 66 Lake

Charles Manufacturing brought the spirit of the holidays to resi-dents of Chateau du Lac in Lake Charles. The festivities included a delicious holiday meal with all the trimmings, gifts for each of the 200 residents, entertainment by an Elvis impersonator and of course Santa Claus. P66 employees and LaGrange High School stu-

dents served as Santa’s elves. LaGrange is one of Phillips’ Partner-in-Education schools.

This marks the 8th year that Phillips 66 has sponsored a Christ-mas party for the residents of Chateau du Lac, which consist pri-marily of elderly and disabled people in the community.

Mardi Gras Museum Announces New Executive DirectorThe board of directors of the Mardi Gras

Museum of Imperial Calcasieu is proud to an-nounce that Cathie Miller Schreve has been ap-pointed executive director for the museum.

Schreve, originally from Lacassine, has years of experience in public relations in the SWLA area and has previously served as airport director for Southland Field in Sulphur. She is also a licensed pilot and maintained a flight school at Southland for many years. The Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu is located in the Lake Charles Central School Arts and Humanities Center and was founded in 1997 to preserve the traditions of Mardi Gras in the Imperial Calcasieu area.

Cathie Miller Schreve

Tammy Truax, Magnolia LNG LC office manager and Wayne Ahrens, Westlake Chemical LC site manager and JA of SWLA board chair.

Ann and Steve Kuypers and children present their donation to Julio Galan, President & CEO of The Family Foundation

Entergy and State Farm Donate to Hurricane MuseumEntergy and State Farm presented checks of $500,000 each to

the National Hurricane Museum & Science Center. The National Hurricane Museum & Science Center’s mission is to tell the story of the impact of hurricanes on the people, land and economy of the nation. State Farm and Entergy share the Center’s goal of educating the public on the importance of hurricane preparedness and the urgency of building storm-resistant communities.

December 18, 20148 Vol. 6 • No. 19

As I was going through my stack of outgoing Christmas cards, I noticed an envelope with the address “North Pole” scrawled across it. It couldn’t have been from my wife, as she knows the truth about Santa--that he actually lives on a tropical island. Curious, I removed the letter and saw that it was actually from our dog, Buster.

I shouldn’t have been sur-prised that Buster is smart enough to write a letter to Santa, seeing how he’s figured out how to get whatever he wants out of us. And so to provide some insight into what goes through a dog’s mind during the holiday season, I thought I’d share his letter with you:

Dear Santa Paws,I’m sure that Mom and

Dad have kept you up on how good a boy I’ve been since I moved in with them last summer. However, they may

have said some things that could be easily misconstrued, and so I thought I’d write and give you my side of things to set the record straight.

First, I want to address the issue with Mom’s cats. When I arrived at my new house, I was appalled to discover that three cats had infested the place. So, sure I chased them. I thought I was doing Mom a favor. How was I to know that she actually likes hav-ing them around? I tell you, I can’t figure humans some-times. Well, I haven’t chased them in a while, and the big one they call Maverick I have actually made friends with, sort of. He still has no inter-est in playing tug-of-war when I bring him my rope toy. Cats sure are boring.

Also, I want you to know that I only eat what Mom and Dad give me. Almost. Yes, there was that one time when I jumped up and ate Dad’s Scotch egg off the kitchen

counter. But hey, it had sausage in it, and I am a dog after all. You have to let me slide on that one.

You may have also heard that I dug a few holes in the yard. While that’s true, the holes were small, and I more than made up for it by al-lowing Mom to put on that ridiculous Santa hat she got me. (Oops, sorry, Santa; it looks good on you. What I meant is that it clashes with my muzzle.)

So you see, I have been a very nice boy overall, and so I’m sure that you’ll see it fit to be very good to me this Christmas. I could really use some more toys—the squeak-ier and plushier the better. I’m working on a world speed record for extracting the squeakers, and it’s gotten a bit boring around here since it got cool and all the toads in the yard have gone away.

I want you to know that I am thankful for my new

home and my new Mom and Dad. I still think about the shelter I came from and the other dogs there. While I was writing this, I saw Dad signing a piece of paper and putting it into a card for the shelter. He said the paper was to help feed the other dogs. I didn’t understand this, as I have never known a dog to eat paper, even when it’s some kid’s homework.

I’m sure that Dad has good intentions, but what I’d like to ask, Santa, on their behalf, is that for Christmas you give them all a nice home like I have here.

Love, Buster K. NeyneP.S.: I’ll be sure to leave

you a nice big bone by the chimney on Christmas Eve.

Mike McHugh’s column has appeared in the Jam-balaya News for over five years. You can follow his dog, Buster, on facebook.com/BusterK9.

Dear Santa Paws

Jack is a great Border Collie mix who likes cats! He is about a year and a half and is doing well with housetraining. While he is fond of felines, he does not care for horses or cows. He has a gentle nature with strangers and enjoys older children when meeting them at PetsMart. Jack has been treated for heartworms and now has a clean bill of health. This sweet boy is ready to move on to his “forever” home as soon

as possible! For more information, call or email: (337) 478-7294; lapaw@bell-south.net. Home visit and vet check required prior to all adoptions. Hurry, Jack is waiting!For more information, call or email: (337) 478-7294, lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check and home visit required prior to all adoptions.

December 18, 2014 9Vol. 6 • No. 19

Holiday Mail SafetyTry as you may to stay

safe from the bad guys, the evildoers are out there 24/7 getting into your and my pockets. Recently, we became victims. My wife is old school; she is an avid handwritten note and greeting card person, keeping the post office and Hallmark Cards in busi-ness all by herself. The other day, she wrote thank-you letters to a group of her very close friends for a Christmas party they all attended. That evening, she completed her letters, placed them in seasonal looking red envelopes and posted pretty stamps on them. We were going out that evening, so I grabbed the envelopes and placed them in our mailbox. I remember putting the flag up, and when we returned around 10 p.m., it was still up.

The following morn-ing, I noticed the flag was down. Thinking that our mail carrier had come exceptionally early; I went out to get the mail. As you have already guessed, the box was empty. It is truly a rare instance that we receive no mail. I can think of maybe twice in the last 20 years that we did not

receive at least one piece of mail.

Later that day, around the normal mail delivery time, the mail carrier

came—with our mail. I caught

her and related my tale, hoping

that perhaps during the

Christmas rush season, there could be multiple deliv-eries. You already know her response. She said to make

sure to let my neighbors (you are now included) know that there are people going around stealing Christmas mail, looking for gift cards, money and checks. I will not put out mail in my box over-night again; I have learned my lesson. Mail will now only be placed in the mail during

the morning hours when I am home or will be placed in a secure mail pickup station. I can only recommend that you do the same.

City of LightsThe City of Lake Charles

has again put forth a Christ-mas display of lighting that is increasingly impressive. We certainly applaud the city’s efforts and continue to enjoy the exhibition on each trip around town during the evening hours.

On the same subject, we have just returned from our annual December trip to the “City of Lights,” as Natchito-ches loves to refer to itself for their efforts in awe-inspiring holiday lighting. They, as Lake Charles, continue to up the game each year.

This year, they have cano-pied the Church Street Bridge with Christmas lighting fea-turing a constantly changing

light display, Very impressive to drive over that bridge with a sun roof and watch the var-ying lighting alterations go-ing on above you. We always enjoy their downtown histor-ical area, where we regularly dine at The Landing, Papa’s and the Pioneer Pub; they all feature great food, friendly service and warm environs on Front Street. In addition, there are some other excel-lent restaurants in the area, but you can only eat so many meals. Natchitoches is about 125 miles and easily reach-able in 2 ½ hours. Do your-self a favor and take a peek at what they have to offer.

Going to pass on a shop-ping survey this issue as there are so many promotions for holiday foods going on and I know you have already scoped out many of your own favorites. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2015!

December 18, 201410 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Let’s zoom in our time travel pirogue to 1968 and Chesa-peake Bay. My friend Larry had hunted ducks on my family rice farm south of Lacassine and wished to return the kindness. All I had to do was drive the partially completed Interstate 10, head northeast on I-95, then travel state and farm roads to Talbot County, Maryland for a waterfowl hunt. Only took some 24 hours in a VW Beetle to make the trek.

Before I got to Larry’s grand-father’s outside of Easton, Md., I had to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Then I was in corn, wheat, soybean, cover crop and

hay country. In the bay and on the way I saw bluebill ducks, canvasback ducks, redhead ducks, bufflehead ducks, gold-eneye ducks, scooter ducks, spoonbill ducks, mallard ducks, widgeon ducks, black mal-lard ducks, teal ducks, gadwall ducks and probably some duck ducks too!

The two-story farmhouse, when I finally got there around 10 p.m., reminded me of the old one on our farm and looked like something out of an Andrew Wyeth painting. Larry and his grandparents had waited up to greet me. A

quick catch up bull session and I dropped off to an exhausted sleep. While the roosters still snored, we headed out to a cornfield that bordered the Miles River. As we tromped to the pit blind, I could hear the crunch of corn stalks under my feet. Then it hit me, no water. None. “Nada.” “Pas un.” The nonexistent pond was just a sloping-to-the-river grain field. When we arrived at his barrel blind, all he had for cover were some corn stalks piled around it.

Then there were the two dozen or so decoys scattered about in a design I call Picasso-esque. This was before Big Foot Decoys were common. These were just keel-less de-coys with a metal stake in the middle stuck into the ground. They were scattered chaoti-cally and tilted every which way about ten to 15 yards from our blind. But I wasn’t about to say anything about his horrid spread, I was a guest wearing hip boots on dry ground.

So, we set up about ten minutes before shooting time in our individual bar-rels. And they were just that, barrels with no seats for the hung over and weary. With that first plaintive mellow quack, I knew Larry was us-ing the Faulk’s Guide Duck Call I had given him. We

could hear the whistle of wings and then with the coming light I could make out the tree line along the Miles River. I heard the high-pitched “Yeek Yeek” of wood ducks following the river and the slough along the cornfield’s edge.

“Freeze!” Larry said.“Stoop!” He should have

said. That‘s about all one can do in barrel. But I did. High-lighted by the dawn’s climbing light, three greenheads and a hen were flaps down winging in.

“Take ‘em!” Larry exclaimed and we did. Three drakes down. I lied and told him I did not shoot hens. On purpose I didn’t, but not that time. I just missed her. My bad.

The rest of the morning went like a slow day in my rice field picking up a mallard here and there for the rest of the morn-ing until we had our limit. Oh, we saw other ducks but they were usually in the slough south of us, along the river or high overhead. Good hunt, but it wasn’t the fast action of Loui-siana fields and marshes.

It had been barely above freezing that morning and an Arctic front was due in the early evening. On the way back to the VW, Larry informed me that he had to help his grand-father haul and stack firewood before the front arrived. I knew that meant us. About nine that

Hunting Chesapeake Bay

December 18, 2014 11Vol. 6 • No. 19

evening the wind switched to the northwest, howled and drove the rain hard against the house. The firewood stacks in the back would last me two winters but not here. It was chilly in that old house and we all huddled around the fire-place as the sleet began to pelt the house.

The next morning it was snowing, and I had to hold down my never-hunted-in-the snow before delight. VWs are not foul weather ATV’s but they are light. We slid and skid-ded out way up and down and around hills and parked under-neath some trees. We were on the edge of a peninsula that ex-tended out in a fishhook shape into an estuary just off Eastern Bay. We loaded up our gear and trekked down the winding trail just inside the rocks.

With us was Larry’s Chesa-peake Bay Retriever Lucy. Actually, we followed her, as she knew the winding trail that came out at the end of the hook-shaped barrier rocks. At least there was an old timber there to sit on, ice-covered though it was. Larry and I dropped our sacks of decoys and tossed a dozen out in the calm behind us. Each was on a long string that actually came back to us so we could retrieve them. He did the same in front in the choppy and wind-driven waves. It was light enough to shoot but the snow semi-blind-ed us.

I was actually hunting div-ing ducks just off Chesapeake Bay in the snow! Then out of the flurry they came, wings almost touching the waves. blue bills, canvasbacks, buffleheads, goldeneyes, redheads, ring neck ducks, even an old squaw or two zipped past just out of range.

“Bust ‘em!” Larry shouted.“Bust what?” I said as Larry’s

gun roared. Two cans down just behind us in the protected calm.

“Just shoot the bluebills. We can’t shoot but one can apiece.”

Larry exclaimed. “We?” There was no “We”

involved yet. It was then I noted that Larry

was straddling the board so he could shoot front and back. I shifted to copy him. Then the waves of bluebills started in front. We quickly pulled three out of a flock. His stupid dog leapt out a slit in the side of the granite rocks and away from where the ducks fell. What could I say? After all, I was Larry’s guest and Lucy was his none-too-bright retriever. Then she caught one downed bird at the top of a wave, struggled back to us, and repeated the process. That dumb dog knew the tides here. Lesson learned.

A frenzied flock of wave-surfing goldeneyes took the inside of the wave into the dekes in front and we took four of them. Lucy, who continued to gain intelligence, pulled the same trick but this time to my side and in the waves. Six ducks fetched and two to go.

Did I mention that it was in the ‘20s now and the snow was letting up but the wind felt like an icy gale off the bay? Spray splashed up on the rocks onto us and froze on my slicker. Despite LL Bean and Cabelas attire, I was just plain cold for once in my life.

As my teeth began to chatter, two honest to God REAL black ducks sailed into the calmer water behind us. Big mistake and two shots later we had our limit and I had my first black duck. Lucy did her usual, ob-livious to the chill.

I looked over at Larry and said, “Damn, that was fun!”

“SssUuuRrrEee Ww-wAaaSss,” he chattered through.

We managed to retrieve the decoys and stuffed them and the ducks into frozen-stiff burlap bags. With our bounty slung over our iced slickers, we stumbled back on numbed feet behind the proud-of-herself prancing Lucy.

Stupid dog.

December 18, 201412 Vol. 6 • No. 19

By Sam HebertThere are so many choices to make when it comes to

our money. People say variety is the spice of life, but it can be confusing and scary. Small changes over a long period can have huge impacts on the outcome, while some changes can have dramatic effects right away. The goal is to analyze and take action within a reasonable timeframe. With that in mind, let’s try and examine a few concerns.

401k and Roth A 401k is a great tool to save money. Some companies

match money up to a certain amount. That is hard to beat! What goes in is tax deferred, so when it comes out, you pay taxes on it. The pile of money you have is partly the IRS’s and they let you keep it for a while. If you have a Roth 401k option, you pay taxes now on the money you put in, but all the growth is tax-free when you take it out. It could be a lot more than you put in. That pile of money is tax-free when you retire and start spending it. That’s worth taking a hard look at! If you have a regular 401k and you’re putting in more than the company match, putting that overage into a Roth IRA might be worth con-sidering.

Pension and Life Insurance Companies that offer a retirement pension usually have

options you have to pick. For example, X amount of mon-ey to me, and if I die, my spouse gets nothing. Or, I take less per month so my spouse can get part of my pension. It costs you money for that. Consider looking into life insurance to see if it is a better deal. Be careful if you buy term insurance. Term insurance may not last as long as the need your spouse has for the pension check. I’ve seen people buy a 10-year term, and then the premium increas-es in year 11 (you are older and your health may change) and that could lead to no insurance and no pension.

Someone You Can Trust Find someone to help you with the type of mutual funds

you buy inside your 401k. If they are local, they may be able to serve you better than someone on a phone working somewhere else. That pays no price whether the informa-tion is good or bad.

ConclusionRemember, there is a big world of investment choices

outside of your 401k choices. Pensions, social security, and company medical are great promises given to us. But self-reliance is a beautiful thing to have. The sooner you start, the better your chances are to achieve a healthier financial outcome. It is never too late to improve your future.

About the Author Sam Hebert is the principal and founder of Sam Hebert

Financial Group, L.L.C., a financial firm specializing in wealth building, wealth transfer and business planning. He was ranked number one in sales in the country for New York Life in 2013.

Sam Hebert has clients across the country. He often is invited and travels from coast to coast as a guest speaker on motivation and success. Mr. Hebert focuses on invest-ments*, planning for retirement, protecting wealth, and life insurance. He has the unique ability to translate the complicated world of finances into easy to understand terms.

*Securities offered through NYLIFE Securities LLC member FINRA/SIPC

Sam Hebert is a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies LLC, A Registered Investment Adviser.

Sam Hebert is a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC (member FINRA/SIPC), A Li-censed Insurance Agency. 790 EAST BAYOU PINES DRIVE LAKE CHARLES, LA 70601. Sam Hebert Finan-cial Group is not owned or operated by NYLIFE Securities LLC or its affiliates.

December 18, 2014 13Vol. 6 • No. 19

Hello, everyone!The holiday season is upon us once again.

I’d like to take the time to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.

I get invited to Christmas parties all the time and I never go empty handed. Since the host usually has the main courses taken care of, I like to bring sweets. Bread pudding is my go-to dessert.

This recipe is basic. You might want to add stuff to yours, such as raisins, nuts, dates, chocolate chips, green beans and cookie crumbles to make it your own. Yes I know I said green beans. Just making sure you’re paying attention.

This recipe will make one 9”x 13” pan of bread pudding. Feel free to use a disposable foil pan.

What You’ll NeedSaid pan

One loaf of bread. Leftover bread is fine, hotdog and hamburger buns work as well

Four eggs

3 cups milk

1 and a half cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla

What You’ll DoBreak up the bread by hand into the pan.In a separate bowl, whip the eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar with a whisk. Once blended

add the milk, mixing well. Slowly pour into the bread and let it settle while you put on some rubber gloves. Th en, mix well by hand and pat down even.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven.While your bread pudding is baking you might want to make a little rum sauce.

Rum SauceFor this you’ll need one pound of butter slightly melted, one pound of powdered sugar and

one quarter cup Bayou Spiced Rum.In a mixing bowl, slowly blend the powdered sugar and butter. Th en add the rum. Th is will

make enough for two or three pans of bread pudding, and can be stored a room temp in a sealed container.

I always make this last minute so I arrive with it still warm.Enjoy this with a nice cup of egg nog and don’t forget to STIR DAT POT!

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!

Bread Pudding for the Holidays!

December 18, 201414 Vol. 6 • No. 19

& 50). Jesus takes her repent-ing heart and proclaims her purification like many priests have done in their culture. He not only tells her personally, but also lets others hear. She is no longer a sinner. And he declares to her a new identity and embraces her back into the community.

God calls us to do some-thing special with our lives and in the lives of others. This passage really stuck with me throughout the entire week and connected with something deep inside of me. That is usually a sign that God wants to speak to me in that part. I begin reading it over and over again. It is now just God and I. I begin feeling very close to God. I begin praying on the passage. I begin asking myself ques-tions. What was on my heart and mind today? Does this alabaster box represent my heart?

Another thing that I learned through Mary’s experi-ence is that she did all she could with what she had. She did not focus on what she could not do. She didn’t ask for approval from oth-ers. What she did was with pure love. Not all us have the same gifts. Can you be en-couraging to someone who might be struggling? As you begin to use your own gifts to help others, God will be very pleased, He will use you in ways greater than you ever dreamed. Ask yourself what type of impact you have left with others so far in this world.

How often have you or others around you frowned upon or even questioned the way that you or someone else expressed their devotion to God? I have heard it all. We

must learn that it is not our place to devalue others. After all, we will never truly know or understand just what Jesus has done to the heart of any-one other than us.

The act of devotion, ado-ration, and sacrifice is what brings us closer to God. I would like to end this article with a few personal things that I have learned along my own spiritual journey. I encourage you to com-mit to using your spiritual gifts, whatever they may be. Regardless of what anyone thinks of you, give all that you have to God. Your gift is yours for a reason. It is not a coincidence. Don’t hesitate. Don’t be afraid. Don’t get tired. Give of yourself until you feel like there is nothing left. The time has come for you to break your alabaster box. Break it open. Allow Him to work on your heart,

your mind, and your soul. It is not enough to know God. His lov-ing spirit should shine through our actions.

During this giving sea-son, ask yourself the follow-ing questions:

How do you treat God’s people (particularly those who can do nothing for you)? Do you uplift or belittle those who think or behave differ-ently?

We must learn to enjoy, accept and embrace whatever God brings to us.

Share your heart (LOVE) with others. Choose to keep turning new pages in the book of your life. Choose to be honest and real, move forward, face fears, and LIVE.

With All My Heart ~NicoleTo 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

I was listening to a pastor speak on the radio recently about the alabaster box. This story told about the time Mary poured an alabaster box of perfume over Jesus. What had amazed me was that al-though Mary was performing a completely unselfish act, even those closest to Jesus--His own disciples--criticized her. But she didn’t care. She didn’t apologize or express regret for her actions, even when Judas pointed out that the perfume could have been sold to help the poor.

Reflecting on that, I asked myself a question: “What’s in MY alabaster box, and what am I going to do with it?” Immediately, images of my grandmother’s alabaster trinket box entered my mind. It is a treasure to me. On the top is a beautiful rose. Inside are a few pennies, a small piece of turquoise, an Ameri-can flag pin, and a small yel-low chick. All of the contents although worthless in value, are priceless to me. What I discovered in my grandmoth-er’s alabaster box was a part of my grandmother I didn’t know. What did those items mean to her? What did she go through in her life that I don’t know?

During the time that Jesus walked the Earth, it was cus-tomary to wash the feet and anoint the head of a guest in your home. Mary went be-yond what was required of her when she sat at the feet of Jesus in total submission using her hair to cleanse His feet, then breaking her con-tainer over His head. Her actions suggest that she was willing to sacrifice all that she had for Him. Mary de-cided that she would not give her alabaster box to anyone else. Instead, she would give her all to Christ. Can you imagine how heartbroken she must have been when her act of worship was ridiculed by the disciples? Have you ever been ridiculed?

The unexpected reaction from Jesus stops all talk. He sees the heart of the matter clearly. He does not judge what she does or what she did in the past. He sees her heart: her repenting of her past. He sees that she is trust-ing her future in Jesus’ hand. She broke her heart for Jesus when she broke the alabaster box of ointment. And Jesus took that broken heart.

Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (v. 48

The Alabaster Box - Humility and Love

December 18, 2014 15Vol. 6 • No. 19

Keeping your dogs safe dur-ing the holiday season can be “ruff.” There’s a big tree inside your home, lots of shiny orna-ments, wrapped gifts and lights that all resemble toys; lots of food that can be harmful to dogs if consumed, fireworks, etc. The following tips can keep your fur babies safe this season.

I’ve said this before, but always remember that you can’t stop unwanted behavior unless you catch it. So, if you’re not able to watch your dogs 100 percent, set them up for suc-cess. Placing your tree in the corner of a room, with a barrier around it (such as a Pet Yard) will deter your dog from at-tempting to chew gifts, orna-ments, lights, etc.--which can all cause dangerous injuries if ingested. When you’re not able to supervise your dogs, keep them in a separate room or in a kennel. Also, be sure they have plenty of interactive toys to play with, and that you’re walking them daily to prevent boredom and/or anxiety.

When it comes to food, there are lots of things that we eat that are beneficial to dogs. However, there are some that are quite dangerous. We all know that chocolate and alco-hol can be harmful if your dogs consume them, but did you know that grapes and raisins can cause acute renal failure? That’s right. Keep the grapes and raisins away from your pups.

Raw onions, raw garlic, xylitol, macadamia nuts, avo-cados, and bones (especially poultry bones) should be kept from your dogs as well. Be sure to be mindful of ingredients in prepared dishes. For instance, nutmeg can cause hallucina-tions when ingested by a dog, so don’t share your apple pie, gingerbread cookies, etc. Also, many steak sauces use raisin paste, so keep meat with certain sauces away, too. When it comes to decorations, holly, poinset-tia, and mistletoe are all toxic to dogs. So, be sure to keep deco-rations using these plants out of your dogs’ reach.

So, what do you do when the New Year rolls around, and all the loud fireworks come with it? If your dogs are fearful of fireworks (or any loud noise), there are plenty of things you can do to help them feel safe and secure. First, be proactive, rather than reactive. You can find plenty of videos and audio recordings of fireworks online. Play them a few times a day (starting at a low volume and short duration) while giving your dogs really good tasting treats (boiled chicken, all-nat-ural hot dog wieners, etc.). The entire time the video or sound clip is playing, keep administer-ing the treats. The moment the recording stops, immediately stop giving the treats. Every few days, gradually increase the duration and volume. If you’re consistent, and patient, over

time your dogs’ perception of firework noises will be changed because they’ve associated the noises with great stuff !

It is VERY important to move at a very slow pace. If

your dog won’t eat the food, she could be too afraid due to the noise playing at too high of a volume or too long of a duration. Also, vary your treats. Sometimes use chicken, other times, string cheese, and then, maybe wieners. Mixing it up will add more positive associa-tions with the noise. When the actual fireworks begin firing off on New Year’s Eve, do the same thing. Make it as fun as possible by distracting Fido with lots of treats, toys, and games.

There are a few other things you can do to help ease their anxiety during the fireworks. Anxiety Wraps and Thunder-shirts calm dogs by the swad-

dling action they provide, and by hitting key pressure points. Pheromone collars, diffus-ers, and sprays also help, and can be found at your local pet stores. You can order aroma-therapy collars online, and many pet owners actually claim that they’ve experienced great results with them. Last, don’t forget about the importance of a daily walk! Physical and mental stimulation will ease a tremen-dous amount of anxiety. A tired dog is not a stressed dog.

Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you and your pets have a great time, and stay safe!! Happy Training!Britney (Blanchette) Pitre, CPDT-KABONS CHIENS Dog Training, LLC.337.422.4703www.bonschiens.comFacebook.com/BonsChiensDog-Training

Keep Your Dogs Safe This Holiday Season

December 18, 201416 Vol. 6 • No. 19

December 18, 2014 17Vol. 6 • No. 19

December 18, 201418 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Golden Nugget Lake Charles is Open!

Tilman J. Fertitta, chairman, CEO and sole shareholder of Fertitta Enter-tainment, Inc. announced that the high-ly anticipated Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino Lake Charles is officially open. This 1.3 million-square-foot property marks the fifth Golden Nugget and the closest to Texas.

The $700 million hotel and casino features 740 luxury hotel rooms and suites; an 18-hole championship golf course; a world-class spa; extensive retail options; an 18,000 square-foot ballroom; 30,000 square feet of meet-ing space; a one-of-a-kind pool; private beach front and marina; and a number of Landry’s signature restaurants. An in-novative casino floor featuring 70 table games, a state-of-the-art poker room, and 1,600 of the world’s newest slot ma-chines redefines the gaming experience across the industry.

The ribbon cutting was held on De-cember 8, while excited patrons flocked to the casino floor and the restaurants.

“Golden Nugget Lake Charles is like no other gaming resort offering a first-class, Las Vegas-style atmosphere right here in the South,” said Fertitta. “We know our strong Texas and Louisiana customer base will enjoy having these unbeatable, luxury amenities closer to home. This marks our fifth Golden Nugget opening. Our Vegas, Laughlin, Atlantic City and Biloxi properties, each required a dramatic renovation and rebranding; whereas Lake Charles is our

first ground-up devel-opment and articulates our style through and through.”

Stay and PlayThe 25-story hotel and

casino offers 740 luxury hotel rooms and suites that provide guests with comfortable and spa-cious accommodations. With rich browns and shades of red, the ultra-modern rooms and suites provide the utmost quality of excellence from the moment guests walk through the door. The innovative casino floor redefines today’s gaming experience delivering 70 table games, a state-of-the-art poker room and 1,600 of the newest slot ma-chines in the world. From card games such as Blackjack to spinning the wheel at Roulette, players will enjoy nonstop gaming favorites for everyone.

Setting the Standard

Golden Nugget offers 290 acres of the most luxurious resort and hotel ameni-ties. Premiering in April 2015, the 18-hole championship golf course will offer amazing views with great golf shots and generous fairways. Players can visit the Clubhouse to relax and dine in the full-service restaurant and lounge. The Spa and Salon offers a state-of-the-art fit-ness center with luxuriously appointed

men’s and women’s facilities complete with relaxation lounges. From Signature 24-Karat Gold massages to facials and body treatments, guests can receive VIP treatment during their getaway.

The Grand, an 18,000 square-foot ballroom, hosts a variety of live enter-tainment and concerts that bring guests face-to-face with some of the biggest names in the business. With 2,000 seats, The Grand offers big shows in an inti-mate setting. The Golden Nugget also offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space that can accommodate gather-ings of all sizes and occasions including conferences, conventions, banquets and weddings. From a one-of-a-kind Vegas-style pool to a relaxing private beac front and marina, options are endless when it comes to waterfront entertain-ment.

Superior Dining

Golden Nugget offers seven Landry’s,

photo: Landry’s, Inc.

photo: Landry’s, Inc.

photo: Landry’s, Inc.

December 18, 2014 19Vol. 6 • No. 19

Inc. restaurants that provide the perfect setting for intimate dinners, family gatherings, business lunches, or sports view-ing parties. From upscale to casual dining, guests can enjoy signature favorites, including Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse, Grotto Italian Ristorante, Lillie’s Asian Cuisine, Saltgrass Steak House, Claim Jumper Restaurant, Cadillac Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar and Landry’s Seafood House.

Unmatched Entertainment

Five bar and lounge spaces provide guests with non-stop entertainment 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ice Bar and Bar 46 offer relaxing lounge seating and delicious cocktails. Blue Martini, Rush Lounge, and H20 Pool & Ultra Lounge feature live music and dancing.

Luxury Retailers and Gift Shops

Throughout the hotel and along the Shopping Promenade, guests can find the latest styles and trends at eight boutiques and gift shops. From fashionable apparel and accessories for men and women to souvenirs and branded items, the resort and casino features designer brands such as Tommy Bahama, Michael Kors, Lucky Brand, and Nanette Lepore, to name a few. Retail options include Style & Trend, 1946, Riveted, Aqua, Luxe, Memento, Essentials Gift Shop and The Choco-late Box.

To book your stay or for more information on the Golden Nugget Lake Charles, please visit www.goldennuggetlc.com.

December 18, 201420 Vol. 6 • No. 19

The BBB reminds shoppers to know their return rights before making a purchase. It’s always better to ask than to assume. The fol-lowing tips can help you avoid post-holiday frustration:

• Ask the store about its return policy. Can you obtain a refund, a store credit, or exchange unwanted merchandise? How long is the period when returns are allowed? Some stores have extended return periods for gifts, while others limit returns to a week or less after the item is purchased.

• Ask for a gift receipt and enclose it with the gift. Don’t remove electronics or similar products from their boxes before wrapping. The original packaging may be required for a return. In some cases, such as videos or music, the package must remain sealed.

• Do not assume that regular return policies apply to sale or clearance items. Some merchants consider the sale of such items to be final, so ask before buying. If you are the gift recipient, do not assume you have the right to return or ex-

change an unwanted present. Like the shop-per, you are bound by the merchant’s return policy. Health regulations, which can prohibit the return of hats and intimate apparel, also may apply.

• Ask about restocking fees. Some mer-chants charge a restocking or “open box” fee for returns of electronic products or large-ticket items. A restocking fee can be as high as 25 percent of the purchase price.

• Look for a posted return policy when shopping online. If returns are permitted, ask

what procedures and time frames need to be followed. Find out whether shipping fees are charged for returning items and whether shipping costs or restocking fees are deducted from the price of returned items.

• Save your receipt. Keep items in their original packaging and leave tags on clothing. If you remove the price or black it out on the tag, try to leave the item number or bar code vis-ible as it will make it easier for a store to process the return.

Call your BBB for additional tips at (337) 478-6253.

Tips for Holiday Returns from the Better Business Bureau

December 18, 2014 21Vol. 6 • No. 19

GO Group Seeks Director

The Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Op-portunity (GO Group) is hiring a Director who will facilitate the GO Group’s goal that Southwest Louisiana emerges from the growth and develop-ment of upcoming projects stronger, smarter, and more diversified than before.

Candidates must have a Bachelor’s Degree in Commu-nications, Business Adminis-tration, Public Administration, or related field, and at least five years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience suf-ficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job. Applications for this posi-tion can be submitted online at www.cppj.net/jobs and will be accepted through Sunday, January 4, 2015. For job in-quiries, please contact Dane Bolin at 337-721-3500.

December 18, 201422 Vol. 6 • No. 19

By Angie Kay DilmoreLast month, Abraham’s Tent

opened the doors of their new $1.4 million dollar facility lo-cated at 2424 Fruge St., just a few blocks from their original build-ing. Th is beloved Lake Charles institution has been feeding hot wholesome lunches to hungry people since 1986.

Th e new facility is named for Mrs. Pearl Cole, who initially vol-unteered and soon aft er became the organization’s director. She says the center’s new name was a complete surprise to her. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy with it,” Cole said. “But I really think the board tricked me. By putting my name on the building, they know I’m going to work extra hard to keep things going well.”

Building a New FacilityBoard president Robert Piper

served on the building commit-tee and said the new facility was long overdue. A draft y former elementary school housed the original facility. Aside from a window unit in the small dining hall, there was no air condition-ing. Th e place was miserably hot in the warm months and chilly in

the winter. Th ey regularly battled rodents and other pests.

Realizing the need for a new building, Piper joined with board member Eddie Conner. Th ey put together an energetic team who knew how to make things happen. Piper focused on fund-ing. Retired area architect Gayle Zembower drew up plans for the new facility. Attorney Jim Cox brought his legal expertise. Board member Jennifer Babin rounded out this go-getter committee and brought her knowledge of the needs of the people they serve. Aft er the committee commenced in February 2013, the building went from concept to completion within a year and a half.

While he certainly worked hard on the task, Piper said it wasn’t too diffi cult to raise the funds necessary for the new building. Th ey held fundraising dinners at local restaurants and mailed hundreds of letters to area business persons asking for support. Local media provided tremendous support. “When you tell people we’re raising funds for Abraham’s Tent to feed the poor and hungry, people want to be a part of that and participate. People were very giving and we

were the recipients of that.” Piper added that the new building al-lows the organization to not only feed the poor, but also to care for, embrace, and respect them.

Cole described the new build-ing in one word – comfortable. “We’ve been laughing about that,” she said. “No one wants to leave. Aft er lunch everyone sits around and talks. In the kitchen, no mat-ter how many pots or ovens we have on, we’re not overheated.”

Th e kitchen gleams with shiny new appliances. In the back, a large walk-in freezer and refrig-erator store perishable foods. In a huge organized pantry, cans of kidney beans, corn, soups, sweet potatoes and other non-perisha-ble items are arranged neatly on rows of metal shelves.

Pearl’s son Michael Cole has volunteered at Abraham’s Tent since he was 13 years old. Now 39, he has been the organization’s full-time cook since 2005. On a recent Wednesday, the menu consisted of ham and potatoes, broccoli casserole, green beans, collard greens, bread and des-sert. “Th e food here is some of the best in the city,” raved Eddie Connor, who served food that day with some of his Kiwanis

Club members.Th e new building allows

Abraham’s Tent to give people amenities they couldn’t off er in the old facility. Th e restrooms now have showers. Th e new din-ing hall accommodates twice as many people and has a conven-ient handwashing station. Tables along one wall are piled high with donated clothing and toys, free for the taking.

Th e staff and volunteers know many of the regular visitors to the Tent by name. It’s a warm welcoming atmosphere and no one is turned away. Cole greets each visitor and hands out free bus tokens – one to get home and one to come back the next day. Roger Richard is a familiar face at the Abraham’s Tent. A home-less man who lives in a tent in the woods near the interstate, he’s been coming daily for many years. Nathaniel Anderson comes for lunch a few times a week. “Th e new building is a blessing to the City of Lake Charles,” he said. Another gentleman, who pre-ferred to remain anonymous, said that Abraham’s Tent represents a helping hand. “I’m just grateful for a hot meal.”

Th e police jury has an offi ce

December 18, 2014 23Vol. 6 • No. 19

within the building. If Cole becomes aware that a home-less person needs some as-sistance, she directs them to the police jury, who can help them with fi nancial needs such as making the fi rst month’s rent and a deposit on an apartment.

When he was younger, Dr. Phillip Conner, a local physician volunteered at Abraham’s Tent. He con-tinues to serve the organi-zation as a doctor, , come once a month to attend to the clients’ minor medical problems.

Community SupportAbraham’s Tent serves ap-

proximately 250 lunches Mon-day-Saturday; 100 lunches go to the ill and elderly at Chateau du Lac on Ryan St. and 120-150 meals are served daily in the Fruge St. facility. It requires the eff orts of a community to keep such an organization in business. Cole receives a portion of her budget from the United Way, but she relies on the goodness and generosity of the community for the remainder and she thanks them for it.

“Lake Charles is awesome. I say that all the time. We could not do our work without the community.”

Cole said that churches are the backbone of her support. Clubs and civic organizations, Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts, and schools such as SOWELA Tech volunteer time and resources. First United Methodist Church recently donated 1,000 pounds of sweet potatoes. Numerous area restaurants donate food to the Tent’s kitchen. “I don’t know of a group in town that at one point or another hasn’t helped us in some way over the years. Th at’s what keeps us going.”

A McNeese State University organization called 635 Campus Ministries hosts an annual Love Auction to raise money for Ab-raham’s Tent. According to this group’s president, Shakiyla Solo-mon, students in this ministry go to the Tent and talk to the people there, asking a question, based

on the theme of the auction. Th is year’s theme is “Change” and the question was, “If you could change the way you love one per-son, what would you change and who would it be?” Children were asked, “If you could be whatever you wanted, what would you be?” Inspired by their responses, local artists create and donate paintings to the cause. Th e silent auction will take place on February 20, 2015, from 6-8 p.m. in the Lake Charles Toyota showroom.

For the past fi ve years, Chad Austin, morning show host on KIX 96,1 FM radio, has collected food donations for Abraham’s Tent in an event he calls the Camp Out for a Cause, held in the Ash-ley Furniture Store parking lot on Highway 14.

“I spend 54 hours there over Monday, Tuesday, and until noon on Wednesday before Th anksgiv-ing to give the homeless, needy, elderly, and less fortunate the opportunity to enjoy a nice, big, warm Th anksgiving,” he said.

Cole relies on the many groups, churches, and civic organizations that volunteer to serve the lunches each day. Jennifer Babin began volunteering at the Tent 12 years ago with her church, St. Martin de Porres Catholic. She now serves on the board at Abraham’s Tent and volunteers there two to three times a week. “I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing in life. I’m serving my purpose here. Th is is one way I can give back,” she said.

Fundraising Eff orts are Not Over

Even though the new building is completed and open to serve the needy, the board still has more work to do.

“Our fundraising eff orts are not over,” said Eddie Conner. “We want to raise more funds as a cushion so the organization can draw on the interest when times are lean.” Abraham’s Tent leased the old building, so they had very few expenses. With the new build-ing, they now have utility bills and insurance to pay. Th ey always

receive large numbers of dona-tions around the holiday season, but Cole says March, April and May are oft en lean months.

As the local economy grows and more people move into the area, the board anticipates a greater need for the services of Abraham’s Tent. Th ey always welcome donations of food and money. Cole especially appreci-ates fresh produce from people’s gardens. To make a contribution, volunteer, or for more informa-tion, call Abraham’s Tent at (337) 439-9330.

Robert Piper, Abraham’s Tent Board President,

with Pearl Cole

December 18, 201424 Vol. 6 • No. 19

A glittering entrance to the Mardi Gras season, the Twelfth Night celebration at the Lake Charles Civic Center draws thousands to see the grand promenade of the kings, queens, and captains of more than 50 krewes. The Twelfth Night tradition parallels the three

kings’ entry at the ancient nativity twelve days after Jesus’ birth. The 2014 royal court will wave goodbye to all in preparation for the 2015 court, which will be in full display during the Royal Gala on Monday, Febru-ary 16. In the spirit of gift-bearing, everyone present

at the Southwest Louisiana celebration is given a piece of king cake, and 12 grand prizes are given to visi-tors who find a surprise in the cake. There is dancing and more revelry following the promenade. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $5

and are $6 at the door for adults and free for children ages 5 and under.

Advance tickets are avail-able at the following loca-tions: Joseph’s Electric, Gor-don’s Drug Store and Party Time Store on Lake Street. For more information, call (337) 439-1723.

Twelfth Night: January 6

Charpentier Historic District Launches Free Multimedia Tour and Smartphone App

for Visitors The Charpentier Historic District

has now been brought to life with a self-guided, Smartphone application that highlights the rich history of the city as well as the carpenter-architects who created Lake Charles’ unique style of architecture. The free app can be downloaded in your app store by searching “Lake Charles Historic Tour.”

Without architects in the area until the early 1900s, the 40-block Char-pentier Historic District reflects the personalities of the carpenters and builders who constructed the Victori-an mansions that still stand today. The district, with its intricate woodwork and distinctive columns, is nationally recognized as having Lake Charles-style architecture on the National Reg-ister of Historic Places.

Whether you drive or walk, this app with give you turn-by-turn directions. The application features 30 minute to 1 hour tours, videos, photos, as well as social media sharing capabilities. You can even create your own Charpentier Historic District virtual postcard to share.

To see a video preview of the app go to www.visitlakecharles.org/historic or for historical resources, visit www.calcasieupreservation.org.

December 18, 201426 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Christmas Card Workshop Through Dec. 31The City of Lake Charles will host the fourth annual Handmade

Christmas Card Workshop at 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cul-tural Center. All ages can apply their creative skills using several mediums with all materials provided. Students are also invited to contribute their handmade cards as class projects and are wel-come to write a letter to Santa. The cards will go to The Calcasieu Council on Aging for distribution to area nursing home residents. (337) 491-9147.

Stark House Christmas Through Jan. 10The W.H. Stark House in Orange, Texas features tours on all

floors and is decked out with holiday-themed items and Christ-mas décor. The Carriage House of The W.H. Stark House engages visitors with their exhibit, Reflecting the Times: Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The exhibit highlights these three turn-of-the-century art movements and showcases jewelry, pottery and other pieces collected by Miriam Lutcher Stark. Group tours are available by request and the last tour during regular operating hours begins at 4 p.m. (409) 883-0871.

Rory Partin’s Big Band Sound Dec. 19Rory Partin performs classic big band songs while leading stel-

lar musicians through his original arrangements at McNeese State University Dept. of Performing Arts. The concert includes original songs released on his new album this year and also features the incredible vocals of Alexa James (Los Angeles Music Awards Hot New AC Artist of the Year in 2010). Ð Begins at 7p.m., $15 Adults

/$10 Senior/$5 Students. (337) 433-7988.

A Holiday Celebration Dec. 19-20Special off-season show for only $10 at ACTS Theatre! We

know money is always a little tighter around the holidays, and we wanted to make sure you got to enjoy a quality theatre show with-out breaking the budget. Enjoy A Holiday Celebration Dec. 19 at 7:30, and Dec. 20 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Call (337) 433-2287.

Jazz in the Arts Black Tie Dinner Gala Dec. 21Support Jazz in the Arts and attend the Black Tie Dinner Gala

on Sun., Dec. 21 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Dinner, silent auction, and performances by International mezzo-soprano and jazz vocalist Erica Papillion Posey, Tipitina’s Internship Band and the Jazz in the Arts Rhythm Section. Tickets are $70 per person or $500 for a table and proceeds will go towards music education and scholarships for young people. (337) 794-5744 or jazzint-hearts.com.

Christmas Drop and Shop Dec. 23Need someone to watch the kids while you do last minute

Christmas shopping? Allow the Orleck Elves to be of service! Children ages 8 and older will be happy to stay with us in a fun, safe, and supervised environment. We’ll have unlimited laser tag games, movies, and more throughout the evening from 4-8 p.m.. Cost is $40 per child and includes unlimited laser tag games and dinner. Reserve your child’s spot by calling the ship office at (337) 214-7447.

Saturday, December 20: Holiday FunBreakfast with Santa (Members only)

Members, get your last minute wish list to Santa before he heads back to the North Pole and enjoy breakfast from 9:45-10:30

a.m.! The 3rd fl oor will be closed to the general public until 11 a.m. Bring your camera.

Meet Santa Claus (public event)

Don’t forget your camera! From 10:45 a.m.-noon., Santa will give out jingle bell necklaces. When you’re done you can make

an ornament in the Art Space to take home from!

Monday, December 22: Holiday FunStory Time with Dan Ellender

At 11 a.m., Executive Director Dan Ellender will read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Wooden OrnamentsChildren can pick two wooden ornaments to

decorate for their tree. Classes start at 11:30 a.m. and noon, and are limited to 20 children each.

Movie TimeAt 12:30 p.m., we will have popcorn and watch

Santa Claus is Coming’ to Town, The Little Drummer Boy and Mr. Maggio’s Christmas Carol!

Tuesday, December 23: Holiday FunStory Time with Nana and Pappy Elf

At 11 a.m., we will have one of Santa’s elves read the classic story of Rudolph. Kids will receive a candy cane after the story.

O Christmas TreeDecorate your foam Christmas tree with Santa’s Workshop

stickers and glitter. Class begins at 11:30 a.m. and is limited to 20 children.

Movie TimeAt 12:30 p.m., we will have popcorn and watch

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Frosty Returns.

Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25: Closed for Christmas

We hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!

Friday, December 26: Ceramic Piggy BankSave up your Christmas money in your ceramic piggy bank.

Classes start at 11 a.m. and noon and are limited to 20 children each.

Monday, December 29: Story Time with Cay Gibson

Children’s book author, Cay Gibson, will read her book, Cajun Ti Beau and the Cuckoldries, at 11 a.m. A book signing will

follow.

Tuesday, December 30: Crowns and TiarasClass begins at 11 a.m. and is limited to 25 children.

Wednesday, December 31 and Thursday, January 1:

Closed for New Year’sHappy New Year! We hope to see you in 2015!

Friday, January 2: Jumbo Snowfl akes

Make a jumbo foam snowfl ake! Class begins at 11 a.m. and is limited to 25 children.

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad Street downtown Lake Charles. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7.50 for children and adults. Call 337-433-9420 or visit www.swlakids.org

December 18, 2014 27Vol. 6 • No. 19

Mardi Gras 12th Night Jan. 6A glittering entrance to the Mardi Gras season, the Twelfth Night

celebration at the Lake Charles Civic Center draws thousands to see the grand promenade of the kings, queens, and captains of more than 50 krewes. Tickets purchased in advance are $5 and are $6 at the door for adults and free for children 5 and under. Starts at 6:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at Joseph’s Electric, Gordon’s Drug Store and Party Time Store on Lake Street. (337) 439-1723.

Mardi Gras Queen’s Pageant Jan. 10Mardi Gras of SWLA invites all young ladies between the ages

of 5 and 23 for Miss divisions or 24 and up for the Ms. division to enter the 2015 Miss Mardi Gras of SWLA pageant on Sat., Jan. 10, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Contestants must be residents of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron or Jeff Davis Parishes. There are eight different age categories. The queens will reign over the 2015 Mardi Gras festivities in Lake Charles and be presented at parades and events. Entry forms are available www.swlamardigras.com. Begins at 10 a.m. Admission: $5 Adults/$3 Children 12 & Under. (33) -274-4350.

Color Vibe 5K Jan. 10The Color Vibe 5K is coming back to Lake Charles! It will be held

on Sat., Jan. 10, and is partnering with the American Cancer Soci-ety’s Relay For Life Lake Charles Event. Starting at the Civic Center Amphitheater, The Color Vibe is a 5K fun run/walk for ALL fitness levels. Using color-safe products made with cornstarch, we will “color” downtown Lake Charles! For more information, go to www.thecolorvibe.com. “LIKE” their Relay For Life Lake Charles Face-book page for up-do-date event information and cancer-fighting facts.

31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Coalition Memorial Breakfast Jan. 16

The annual Memorial Breakfast, held at Trinity Baptist Church, 1800 Country Club Rd, Lake Charles, Fri., Jan. 16, at 7:30 a.m. will honor several deserving and outstanding individuals in the community. It is open to the public and beginning at 9 a.m. will be televised live on KPLC TV.

Gospel Extravaganza Jan. 18On Sun., Jan. 18 at 6 p.m. performers from all over Louisiana will

come together for the Gospel Extravaganza held at Throne of Grace Fellowship located at 2401 6th Street, Lake Charles. Admission is free.

Parade and Family Day Jan. 19The celebration continues on Mon., Jan. 19, with the annual

parade rolling through the streets of Lake Charles at 11 a.m. with the lineup beginning at the LC Civic Center at 8:30 a.m. Don’t miss the Family Day celebration where you can enjoy live, local and na-tional entertainers, The big Celebrity Gumbo Cook-Off Contest, and hundreds of local vendors. T-shirts, tickets and entry forms can be picked up and purchased at 305 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles. (337) 491-9955 ext. 17, fbbkzwa@aol.com, www.kzwafm.com.

December 18, 201428 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Madagascar was a suc-cessful animated movie that included a team of four pen-guins providing “lowbrow” humor in contrast to the “medium low” humor of the main characters. Now the bad boys have their own movie, and it offers summer mind-less entertainment in the slow pre-Christmas season.

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private now have names. The first three, as child pen-guins in Antarctica, encoun-ter a lost egg which hatches into Private. Soon, our four friends drift off into their life in the previous Madagascar movie.

Fast forward to the present, and Penguins are bored with Madagascar, so arrange to shoot them-selves from a cannon into a new life, which revolves mainly around obtain-ing Chee-tos (called Cheesy Dibbles in this movie). Along the way they encounter evil

Dr. Brine who is planning to kidnap all the cute penguins from zoos all over the world (including, note, the Baton Rouge Zoo.)

The Penguins find them-selves battling Dr. Brine and his army of squids, but are in a sort of competition with a group of secret agent animals called the North Wind. This organization has been after Dr. Brine for some time, led

by a dog whose name is clas-sified.

But what the movie is re-ally about is the Penguins and their bad boy attitude. In par-ticular, Skipper is a combina-tion of Bugs Bunny, Heckle and Jekyll, and Groucho Marx. Under Skipper’s guid-ance, the penguins become a comical team of secret agents themselves, constantly giv-ing themselves high fives (but being Penguins, they’re high “ones.”)

The comedy comes from the inside joke that every insane scrape the Penguins get into is resolved by chance events, while in their minds, they are geniuses. Their antics are contrasted with Dr. Brine, who is voiced by John Malkovich and actually has a plan. Brine is about the unscariest villain I’ve ever seen, probably out of respect to Penguins’ young target audience. The North Wind dog (who is called Classi-fied by Skipper) is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch (XMen: First Class, The Imitation Game) who plays straight man/dog throughout

the movie. Like an old Warner Brothers cartoon, the jokes are fast-paced,

surreal at times, and aimed mainly at parents, while the physical comedy will capti-vate the children in the audi-ence.

Unfortunately, there is the plot to deal with, which aside from its unique approach to focusing on penguin cuteness victimization, is tired and tediously handled. Dr. Brine has his backstory involving jealousy and blah blah blah. Private is underappreciated by Skipper and longs for a chance to save the day. Skip-per finds himself outclassed by North Wind and longs for a chance to save the day.

Still, there’s this wonder-ful humor and Penguin farce going on. When the four get locked in a cage, Rico burps up a paper clip and picks the lock. When they fall out of a plane, Private finds a box with something called a parachute in it, but Skipper regroups them instead in a falling box containing Cheesy Dibbles.

They find themselves in Shanghai but since they can’t read maps, mistake it for Dublin and immediately ship themselves to Shanghai, end-ing up on the same street in front of the same buildings.

If you’re old enough to remember the Marx Broth-ers, here they are. If not, here they are. The Penguins of

Madagascar is rated PG

for animated cruelty to a

baby squid and for young penguins kicked off a snow-cap by a documen-

tary camera crew seeking dramatic footage. Leave your brain at home and enjoy this one with the kids.

The Penguins of Madagascar(Dreamworks, 2014)

December 18, 2014 29Vol. 6 • No. 19

If you feel like you’ve seen all the Christmas Classics a hun-dred times and the Hallmark Channel is not really your style, there are other options without becoming a movie Humbug. Try these 12 non-Christmas movies set during Christmas time. On the first day of Christmas my movie love gave to me:

Serendipity: John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale meet once, fall in love at first sight and then find each other again five years later with the help of a little serendipity. John Cusack fans may note a conversation about the constellation Cassiopeia that echoes another famous Cusack film, The Sure Thing.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: What could be more ex-citing for Christmas than James Bond courting a mob boss’s daughter? If you’re a big Bond fan, pay close attention during the opening credits. It’s the only gun barrel sequence in which the Bond’s image completely disappears after dropping to one knee with his gun.

Gremlins: Ah, the ‘80s. If you thought giving your kids a puppy for Christmas was a bad idea, wait until you watch Gremlins. For example, there’s a scene involving a gremlin and a chainsaw specifically added to the movie after the script was written. Why? To pay homage to

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre of course. Happy Holidays!

The Holiday: Okay, maybe the title of this one does sound Christmas-y. But really, this movie is for anyone wanting to escape their regular life for a bit and live in someone else’s shoes. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet swap houses between the United States and England and learn some love lessons along the way. A fun bit of dialogue has Cameron Diaz’s character saying she doesn’t want “Scorsese-Red” used for one of the movie trail-ers. In real life, Cameron Diaz was in Martin Scorsese’s film Gangs of New York.

Lethal Weapon: Has enough time passed to share this movie with the next generation? The buddy cop movie that trig-gered hundreds of copycats, most folks forget this was set at Christmas time. A veteran cop gets paired with a suicidal young cop and hopes to survive long enough to reach retire-ment. If you lived in Hollywood in 1986, Christmas came early that year, as Hollywood city of-ficials hung their real Christmas decorations a few months early while the film was shooting.

The Family Man: A good one for those who like It’s a Wonderful Life but have seen it so many times they can recite the lines before the actors say

them. Nicholas Cage wakes up one day to find out what his life would have been like had he pursued love instead of a career in this likeable film. Okay, okay… the snow falling when his life changes actually is a homage to It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s hard to find movies set at Christmas not about Christ-mas.

Iron Man 3: Too many Santas in the malls got you down? Try another guy in a red suit and he doesn’t need reindeer to fly! Get your action fix with Robert Downey Jr.’s antics in Iron Man 3 but don’t expect to hear any songs by AC/DC. It’s the only Iron Man movie without them.

While You Were Sleeping: Before Sandra Bullock got all serious in Gravity and The Blind Side, she played a lonely ticket booth collector whose life gets saved by a man who falls into a coma. When the family mistakes her for his fiancée’ she’s too kind-hearted to cor-rect them. This movie’s such a Sandra Bullock classic it’s hard to imagine that Demi Moore, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kid-man were all up for the role.

Trading Places: A little extra green is always nice in one’s holiday stocking, but Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy take it to hilarious places in this ‘80s romp. Sharp eyes will catch that Aykroyd’s charac-ter’s prison number is the same prison number as his previous co-star John Belushi’s was in the movie The Blues Brothers.

Edward Scissorhands: One of my personal all-time fa-vorite movies. Johnny Depp

plays someone so innocent it’s heartbreaking in this twist on the familiar Frankenstein tale. In this case, he was created out of a sugar cookie heart and has scissors for hands. My favorite scene? Winona Ryder dancing in the “snow” created by Ed-ward as he carves an ice sculp-ture for her. Guess I’m just a big softie that way.

The Thin Man: A classic, but not a Christmas classic. It’s for anyone who loves clever screw-ball dialogue with a fun mystery to boot. A man and wife team solve a murder case just for the heck of it. The film was origi-nally just supposed to be a “B” movie and surprised everyone by becoming a huge box office hit. Ready for these numbers? It earned $1.4 million, which was a huge sum back in 1934.

Moonstruck: My mother loves this movie and I included it just for her. Merry Christmas, Mom! This fairytale follows the turbulence created when Cher’s character falls for her fiancé’s brother. Trivia fans take note, the movie line “Snap out of it!” is in the American Film Insti-tute’s Top 100 Movie Lines.

Die Hard: Is this film number 13? So, I wasn’t going to mention this one because it’s on every list about non-Christ-mas films set at Christmas. Every. Single. One. And who am I to break with tradition? It also happens to feature the film debut of an actor who went on to star in many high profile films--a total unknown at the time--Alan Rickman!

Until 2015, save me some popcorn.

Not Another Christmas Movie

December 18, 201430 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Gather around the fire with a favorite author in Regency England, or have some coffee in a Pennsylvania Amish home, or mark the holidays with a family in Scotland. They’re all here, celebrating Christmas.

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas is Stephanie Bar-ron’s 12th Jane Austen mystery. Jane and her sister Cassandra are traveling to their child-hood home, with their mother,

for the 12 days of Christmas in 1814. But on the way, the ladies’ cart is bashed into by a larger coach, and they are res-cued by a dashing stranger.

Arriving at their destination, they find that their old home has turned into a cold, unwel-coming place. Jane’s miserly brother James lives there now with his wife, Mary, a horrible, self-centered woman. Luckily, an invitation beckons the com-pany to the home of a friend in a warm, lively house. As they celebrate the 12-day holiday, one of the group is found dead, the victim of an accident. Jane, however, suspects foul play.

Barron writes in imitation of Austen’s own style, which immerses the reader in the at-mosphere, the setting, and the details of a fictional visit to the Regency Era.

A Simple Charity by Ro-salind Lauer is a faith-based Amish romance set in Lancas-ter County, Pa. Amish midwife Fanny Lapp has been a widow for less than a year and is still in mourning. When a kind and

lonesome handyman/carpenter shows up to help renovate a building on her property, the two become close friends.

Meg Harper is also a mid-wife, living in Pittsburgh. She’s visiting her sister’s B&B in Lan-caster County because she is not allowed to work right now; her medical license has been suspended, pending the inves-tigation of an incident that still haunts Meg. In spite of this, she helps Fanny with a difficult delivery, safely bringing a baby

into the world. Meg knows this is her calling and hopes she can return to it as soon as possi-ble. Maybe she and Fanny will be able to work together. The story is as comforting as a piece of warm apple pie.

Once upon a Christmas Kiss by Manda Collins is a steamy romance novel set in a coun-try manor house at Christmas. Several guests are spending the holidays at the Yorkshire home of Lord and Lady Hurst, in-

It Happened at Christmas

December 18, 2014 31Vol. 6 • No. 19

cluding Sir Lucien Blakewell.Lucien has struck up a

“friendship” — he’s really fall-ing in love — with Winnie Nightingale, the neighbors’ governess, and only agrees to travel to the Hursts’ because Winnie also has plans to be away for Christmas. But lo and behold, when Lucien gets to the party, there are Winnie and her sister, a schoolmistress. The two women are the daughters of a gentleman, but, because they are taking money for do-ing work, the snobs of society look upon them with scorn.

Besides the snobs, a truly unsavory character arrives — one whom Winnie has encoun-tered before. The ladies are threatened, and the light-heart-ed holiday mood turns dark. To protect herself from the mash-er, she enlists Lucien’s help in a ruse, and he is only too happy to comply. Adult situations.

By Winter’s Light by Steph-anie Laurens is one of the pro-lific author’s Cynster romance novels. The whole Cynster clan is gathered at a giant manor house in Scotland for a 10-day celebration of the Christ-mas holidays in 1837. There are many characters to keep straight — fortunately, the au-thor has supplied a list of them and how they are related.

Daniel is the tutor for one of the families, and Claire is the governess in another of the households. He’s crazy about

her and wants to ask her to marry him, but she’s a widow and doesn’t want to get married again. The whole family guess-es his intention and conspires to bring the two together. Adult situations.

An Island Christmas by Nancy Thayer is set in present-day Nantucket. Felicia is living with her fiancé Archie in Utah but is coming home to Nan-tucket Island to be married on Christmas. Her mom Jilly doesn’t approve of the out-doorsy, adventurous Archie and thinks her own neighbor, Steven, a “fabulously success-ful stockbroker,” would be eminently more suitable as a son-in-law.

There’s another fly in the ointment: Archie doesn’t want to have kids — ever — and Felicia is secretly hearing

the tick-tock of her biologi-cal clock. Meanwhile, Jilly is scheming to bring Felicia and Steven together. It’s “a shim-mering bubble of holiday magic” on the island.

Oh, there are many more Christmas stories available:

On the Naughty List fea-tures four romantic novellas: “Christmas Bonus” by Lori Foster; “Naughty Under the Mistletoe” by Carly Phillips; “Have Yourself a Curvy Little Christmas” by Sugar Jamison; and “Some Kind of Wonderful” by Beth Ciotta. Adult situa-tions.

In Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle, a guardian angel wants to help a woman get her life back on track.

Anne Perry’s A New York Christmas is set in the city in 1904. Jemima Pitt, daughter of Perry’s popular Thomas Pitt, is headed for a society wedding, but a scandal may ruin every-thing.

My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins is a collec-tion of 12 romantic stories set during the holidays.

The Advent Bride by Mary Connealy is the first of 12 short, faith-based Christmas romances from Barbour Pub-lishing Inc. This one is set in Nebraska in 1875.

Have a wonderful Christmas! Let’s hope Santa leaves you a really good book — or three.

Copyright 2014 by Mary Louise Ruehr.

Twitter @One4TheBooks

December 18, 201432 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Thursday, Dec. 18Christmas Tribute to the King5 and 7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Amanda Walker6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

Willie Tee, Warren Stormand Cypress9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

DJ9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

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

DJ CaGe11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Friday, Dec. 19Christmas Tribute to the King5 and 7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Amanda Walker7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

John Cessac7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059(Old Town Rd.), LC

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

Clayton Rougeau & the Wild West Show8 p.m. – MidnightMary’s Lounge4017 E. Broad St. LC

PorkchopExpress8 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

ISIS9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

BB & Company9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge at Delta Downs 2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., LC

DJ Music9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

Phillip Glynn9 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

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

Chee-Weez10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., LC

DJ CaGe11 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Saturday, Dec. 20Christmas Tribute to the King5 and 7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Amanda Walker7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

Kory Fontenot7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059(Old Town Rd.), LC

Rod Richard8 p.m. @ Longhorns (Casino)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

The Pegwinders8 p.m. @ Longhorns (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

December 18, 2014 33Vol. 6 • No. 19

ISIS9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., LC

DJ Music9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

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

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

Live Music9:30 p.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

MarvelousWonderfuls10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., LC

DJ CaGe11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Sunday, Dec. 21Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, LC

JC Melancon7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), LC

Dirt Road5 p.m. @ Mary’s Lounge4017 E. Broad St. LC

Mike Zito Band10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., LC

Monday, Dec. 22Karaoke Night10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

Tuesday, Dec. 23Christmas Tribute to the King5 and 7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Mickey Smith6:30 @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059 (Old Town Rd.), LC

Karaoke with DJ David VerrettJack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

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

Paper Planes10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., LC

Wednesday, Dec. 24Louisiana Night & Abita Pint Nite$2 Louisiana Beers $3.50 Louisiana Spirit/Cocktails6 p.m. - Midnight @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

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

December 18, 201434 Vol. 6 • No. 19

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

Karaoke9 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., LC

Thursday, Dec. 25Merry Christmas!

Julie Williams6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

Christmas Tribute to the King7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Jen Kober8:30 p.m. @ Jack After Dark $15 admissionL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Leroy Thomas and the Zydeco Roadrunners9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

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

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

Friday, Dec. 26Christmas Tribute to the King5 and 7:30 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Julie Williams6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Live Music7 p.m. @ Stellar Beans Coffee House319 Broad St, LC

Acoustic Pie7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059(Old Town Rd.), LC

Mark Reeves and Twisted X8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Aaron Istre andUnder the Infl uence8 p.m. @ Mary’s Lounge4017 E. Broad St. LC

Joe Harmon and the Harmonics9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge at Delta Downs 2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

December 18, 2014 35Vol. 6 • No. 19

Larry Tillery10 p.m. @ Texas Longhorn (Club)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

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

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

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., LC

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

No Idea9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

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

The Flamethrowers10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St., LC

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

Saturday, Dec. 27Julie Williams6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Live Music7 p.m. @ Stellar Beans Coffee House319 Broad Street, LC

Good Times and Cold Drinks9 p.m. - 1 a.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., LC

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

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

Larry Tillery10 p.m. @ Texas Longhorn (Casino)2374 HWY 109 S., Vinton

Live Music9 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St., LC

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

No Idea9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Snidely Whiplash9 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St., LC

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

Live Music10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

December 18, 201436 Vol. 6 • No. 19

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

Sunday, Dec. 28Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, LC

TJ Gautreaux and La Soul5-9 p.m. @ Mary’s Lounge4017 E. Broad St. LC

Monday, Dec. 29Karaoke Night10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

Tuesday, Dec. 30Steven Dufrene6:30 p.m.@ Loggerhead’s3748 Louisiana 3059(Old Town Rd.), LC

Karaoke Night 7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

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

Wednesday, Dec. 31New Year’s Eve!Louisiana Night & Bayou Rum Night$2 Louisiana Beers $3.50 Louisiana Spirit/Cocktails6 p.m. - Midnight @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

The annual Gingerbread House Con-test winners were announced at noon on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Welcome Center.

The contest, held in conjunction with the annual Southwest Louisiana Christ-mas Lighting Festival, features awards in different categories including amateurs and school groups. Southwest Louisiana’s goodwill ambassador and mascot, Gum-beaux Gator was on hand to take pictures with the winners. Maplewood Middle Choir also entertained the guests with a holiday performance.

This year, entries highlighted themes such as a Candy Land, A Charlie Brown Christ-mas, a firehouse, Once Upon A Time’s town of Storybrooke and a Cajun house on candy cane piers.

In the Children’s division, Korah LeBleu took first place, Ariauna Loy placed second and Syd-ney Hill captured third.

First place went to Logan Sensat in the Teen Division.

In the Pre-School and Kindergarten Division, Amber Green’s class from Kaufman Elementary took first place. Tina Harris’ class from Kaufman Elementary came in second.

In the Elementary School Division, W T Hen-ning 4-H Club took first place. Second place went to EK Key Elementary Junior Beta Club.

In the Middle School Division, Jamie Roberts’ class from JI Watson captured the first place vote. Sarah Harmon’s class from FK White placed second, and Vinton Middle Art Club took third place.

Taking home first place in the High School

Division was Sulphur High’s Pro-Start Program. Second place went to College Street Vocational Center.

In the Club/Organization Division, Lake Charles Girl Scout Troop 401 placed first. Grand Lake Girl Scout Troop 740 took second.

First place in the Amateur Adult Division went to First Federal Bank Employee Volunteer Group. Donna Anding won second place.

The Best of Show went to Sulphur High’s Pro-Start Program. Their entry was titled Alice in Winterland. The creation features sugar charac-ters of Alice and the Red Queen, candy roses, and a large castle complete with a waffle cone towers.

Th e winning gingerbread houses will remain on display at the bureau throughout the month of December. Residents and tourists visiting the Welcome Center may vote on the “People’s Choice Award”. Th e winners will be announced Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 10 a.m. at the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau. For more information, visit www.visitlakecharles.org.

Gingerbread House Contest Winners Named

December 18, 2014 37Vol. 6 • No. 19

Boomerang9 p.m. @ Gator Loungeat Delta Downs 2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Rock It LoudNew Year’s BashWarrant with special guest FirehouseWear your ‘80s attire!Doors open 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge at Delta Downs 2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

New Year’s PartyCOLORCAST REUNION SHOW w/ Oh, Rhien, Black Heart Saints & Ryan Guidry10 p.m. @ Luna Live719 Ryan St., LC

Triggerproof10 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Karaoke9 p.m.- @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., LC

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

Desert NightNew Year’s Party9 p.m. @ Jack After Dark$25 Admission L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Thursday, Jan. 1Mark Henry6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

Triggerproof7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

“I believe the key to making a difference in the lives of my students rests upon how well I help them reach significant personal transformation,” says musician Huber “Mickey” Smith. “My goal is to inspire the love of learning beyond facts.”

Smith is the band director at Maplewood Middle School in Sulphur, where he has seen the band grow from 48 to 160 mem-bers.

As an educator, Smith’s concert and jazz bands have consistently received Supe-rior ratings at Louisiana District and State Festivals as well as regional festivals. His students continually receive high marks for their performances at these events.

“Children don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,” he continues. “I show my students that they matter. For them to learn, they have to buy into both the subject and the teacher.”

A Westlake native, Smith graduated from Westlake High School and then went on to McNeese, where he received both his bachelors and masters degrees in music education. There, he performed in various ensembles, also serving as drum major.

Smith was previously band director at West Orange-Stark Middle School where the band there grew from 36 to 280 mem-bers. From there, he went on to Maplewood Middle School where he has been for 10

years. His joy of teach-ing is palpable.

“Music taps an essential element in education,” he says. “It helps students with focus and discipline.”

Along with being a dedicated teacher (he’s usually at school by 6 a.m. and often tutors long after the school bell has rung for the day), he is an extraordinarily talented soprano, alto, and tenor saxophonist and has appeared on stage with the Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra, the Banners Big Band and a host of other groups. His “Sax and the City” performances, most recently held at the Chateau du Calcasieu in Lake Charles, have been sold out.

His partnership with the McNeese State University has resulted in many state hon-ors and a 2011 “Pinnacle Award.” In 2007, he instituted an annual community music series called “Music with a Mission” This program exposes his students and the com-munity to some of the finest jazz musicians in the area.

The GRAMMYsBut Smith’s biggest accolade to date oc-

curred this year. The GRAMMY Founda-tion® and The Recording Academy® have

partnered to present the Music Educator Award™ to recognize music educators for their contributions. Smith was nominated and has been chosen as one of the ten 2015 finalists over 5,000 submitted applications from all over the country. Each finalist re-ceives a $1,000 grant for their school.

One winner will be selected from the 10 finalists to be recognized for their remarka-ble impact on their students’ lives. The win-ner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award and attend the GRAMMYs, and will receive a $10,000 honorarium along with a $10,000 grant for their school. The award will be presented at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception during GRAMMY Week 2015.

Smith is elated at the recognition and hopes to be on that plane to Los Angeles.

“The greatest measure of any culture is the arts and entertainment afforded to its people,” Smith says. “Music is the core of Louisiana life and culture. I hope that my contribution to the arts help to keep the music playing for generations to come.”

Huber “Mickey” SmithTeacher/Musician’s Passion

Recognized Nationally

December 18, 201438 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Friday, Jan. 2Mark Henry7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Joe Harmon and the Harmonics8 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Triggerproof9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

Saturday, Jan. 3Mark Henry7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

DJ Music9 p.m. - Close @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

Triggerproof9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

Sunday, Jan. 4Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St, LC

Monday, Jan. 5Karaoke Night10 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

Tuesday, Jan. 6Karaoke Night 7 p.m. - Midnight @ Bourbonz3436 Ryan St., LC

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

Wednesday, Jan. 7Louisiana Night & Abita Pint Nite$2 Louisiana Beers $3.50 Louisiana Spirit/Cocktails6 p.m. - Midnight @ My Place630 W Prien Lake Rd # G, LC

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

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

Karaoke9 p.m. @ Cooler’s Ice House3622 Ryan St., LC

Thursday, Jan. 8Sera Buras6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

Friday, Jan. 9Sera Buras7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort

777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Two Ton Tommy8 p.m. @ Jack After DarkL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Crush Band9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

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

Saturday, Jan. 10Sera Buras7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Indigenous9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Crush Band11 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Saturday, Jan. 17Leann Rimes8:00 pm @ Golden Nugget, Grand Ballroom2550 Golden Nugget Blvd., LCTickets start at $39

Saturday, Jan. 31Merle Haggard8:00 pm @ Golden Nugget, Grand Ballroom2550 Golden Nugget Blvd., LCTickets start at $39

December 18, 2014 39Vol. 6 • No. 19

December 18, 201440 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Marsha Mouser with Jennifer and Jordin Brocato and Tavya O’Quain

Edrina Alexander, Beverly Koonce and Sharon Neabours

Denee Delcombre, Ashton Boudoin and Amy GuilloryAlex Funk and Jessie Yonsch

Lexi and Vicki Nezat, Heidi Farnum, Candice Vincent and Megan Adams

CHRISTMAS UNDER THE OAKS It was a another delightful Christmas Under the Oaks

in Sulphur, presented by the Brimstone Historical Society! The spirit of Christmas was in the air as the happy crowds

came out for a spectacular celebration with carnival rides, breakfast with Santa, the Holiday Market, live

entertainment under the Pavilion and the parade and light show. Ho Ho Ho!

Jaleel Goodwin and Danielle Brooks Ainslie, Macie and Dusty Fontenot

Gabrielle, Michealle and Richealle McCownLayla Thomas, Ashley Smith

and Haley Thomas

Santa Claus and Lauren Dice

LIGHT UP THE LAKE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

The Lake Charles Christmas celebration kicked off with a parade followed by Santa’s Workshop, kiddie prizes,

arts & crafts, food, music, storytelling and more! When the sun went down, everyone gathered for the

lighting ceremony of the Christmas tree, entertainment by the Barbe Show Choir, the Lighted Boat Parade

and Gumbeaux Gator! Joyeux Noelle!

December 18, 2014 41Vol. 6 • No. 19

Delaci Johnson, Shelby Cole, Amanda Rivers and Mackensi Duff

Tyler Simmons and Dallas Yentzen with Carter and William Fain

Chevy and Bayley Town with Janet Bourque

Michael and Peggy Martin Louis, Parker and Katrina St. Romain

MOSS BLUFF CHRISTMAS PARADEEveryone in the Bluff came out for the annual Christmas parade on Sam Houston Jones Hwy

378! The Sam Houston High School Marching Band kicked it off with seasonal music followed by

antique cars, fi re trucks, fl oats of good cheer and Santa Claus on his tractor! Good little boys

and girls lined the streets to celebrate the joy of Christmas and to fi ll their bags with candy. Sweet!

December 18, 201442 Vol. 6 • No. 19

Chad, Eden, Addison, Isabelle and Kim Moreno Adele and Melinda Tilley

Katherine Higar, Shirley Klump and Ellie NickelBrian Abshire, Kari Hankins, Emily Groves and Bill Shearman

THE NUTCRACKERIt was the 50th anniversary production of

The Nutcracker, and what a production it was! Held at McNeese’s Shearman Fine Arts Theater, students from the Lake Charles Dance Academy

as well as many original cast members performed in this year’s Ida Winter Clark style production! The audience was in for

a spectacular holiday treat! Bravo!

Angela and Brooklynn Grace

December 18, 2014 43Vol. 6 • No. 19