the louisiana jam, vol. 1, no. 7 - 09/12/13

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 Volume 1 • Issue 7

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

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Legal DisclaimerThe views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not nec-essarily reflect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.Louisiana Jam is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, LLC, 715 KirbyStreet, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 436-7800. Whilst every effortwas made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time ofgoing to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors oromissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers norby the editorial contributions. Louisiana Jam cannot be held responsible for thereturn of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they aresent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. The views expressed do notnecessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Copyright 2013 Louisiana Jam all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or inpart without prior written permission is prohibited.

CONTRIBUTORSGeorge ClineJulie FayMonica HebertTerry HoldenBraylin Jenkins

Mike McHughRoger MillerJody TaylorKarla TullosDavid Yantis

September 12, 2013 • Volume 1 • Issue 7

On Cover: LCCMH’s Foundation for Fairplay’s

Second AnnualMoonlight Cruise

22

COVER STORY8 Lake Charles

Memorial’s Foundation for Fairplay

REGULARS5 Huntin’ Tales6 The Dang Yankee7 Tips from Tip7 Adoption Corner10 Stir Dat Pot

THE SPICE OF SWLA4 Cowboy Heroes:

Coach Matt Viator12 Restaurant Guide14 Events Guide16 Lake City Beat17 Classic Car Show18 Arts & Culture Guide18 HeART of SWLA20 Music Guide22 Dharma23 Funbolaya25 Acting Up26 Society Spice

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SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 PAGE 3Volume 1 • Issue 7

Lauren de Albuquerque

We all have our favoritemovies. Movies that are likeold friends. We’ve seen themso many times and we neverget tired of them. And withthe beauty of On Demandand Cable and Netflix andwhat have you, we can basi-cally see them whenever wewant. What a luxury.

What did we do in the olddays? Well, we just went tothe movie theater, savoredwhat we saw, and maybeyears later it would end upon Friday Night at theMovies. Going to themovies was so exciting, es-pecially as a child. I wastransported to anotherworld for a couple of hours,with the smell of hot but-tered popcorn waftingaround me. I remember see-ing How the West Was Wonin Cinerama. A lot of youdon’t even know what thatis. Think of it as early 1960s3-D. Because of that, it stillremains one of my favoritefilms.

My cousin Karen took me

to see all the early Elvismovies: Girls Girls Girls,Blue Hawaii, Kissin’Cousins, Fun in Acapulco.Karen is six years older thanme and I felt really grown-up to be sitting in a movietheater with her and herfriends, with their teasedhair and pedal pushers.Every time they showed aclose-up of Elvis, all the girlswould swoon. So I did, too.

My dad and I saw all theJames Bond films. Just thetwo of us. My mother wasn’tinterested. Years later, shewas shocked to find outabout this, as if it were a se-cret. “You were only eightyears old!” she said. “Whatwas your father thinking?”He was thinking of all thosesexy Bond girls—that’s whathe was thinking.

When I was in highschool, all the neighbor-hood kids would pile intothe DeMatteo’s stationwagon (they had five kids)and we’d see movies likeJaws and The French Con-nection. Our entire familywent en masse to see TheGodfather and my motherwas a nervous wreck be-cause there was a brief scene

with a topless woman(Michael Corleone’s wife,who gets blown up). She“warned” me about it be-forehand. She wasn’t con-cerned about the non-stopbloody carnage on thescreen, just the toplessscene. Sigh.

I remember waiting inline for an hour to see TheExorcist and Love Story. Iremember staying up late asa child to watch the Acad-emy Awards and sighingover the gowns and jewelry.I remember the scandal overBarbra Streisand’s see-through pantsuit. I remem-ber Marlon Brando’s boycottof the Oscars the year hewon for The Godfather,when he had a NativeAmerican activist come tothe podium and denouncethe Academy for the wayNative Americans were por-trayed in movies. Thosewere the days.

I never go to the moviesany more. It’s mostly be-cause my husband fallsasleep as soon as the lightsdim, but also because there’sno big rush to see some-thing that I’ll be able to viewin the comfort of my own

home very soon. There are so many movies

that I can see over and overagain. Out of Africa. TheColor Purple. Titanic. TheGodfather, Part 1 and 2 (3is a joke). The airplanescene in Bridesmaids.Conan The Barbarian.Don’t laugh. I can’t standArnold Schwarzenegger andI usually don’t like thosetypes of films, but I love thismovie. I don’t know why.There’s a whole list of them,but you get the idea.

Phil has his favoritemovies, too. All the DieHard and all the LethalWeapon movies. And those48 Hours movies—there’smore than one, right? Heloves them all and knowsmost of the scenes by heart.And he watches them withrapt attention, as if he’s see-ing them for the first time.He’ll still get excited when aplane explodes or someonegets killed. “Watch this!”he’ll say happily. No, thanks.

Almost every night inCable Land, you can findone of these movies. I can’ttell you how many times I’vecome home late to find Philsound asleep with Lethal

Weapon Part 10 on. He’ssnoring happily while gunsare blasting and people aregetting killed.

The other night I camehome, and sure enough, hehad fallen asleep to one ofhis favorites. I looked at thenow-familiar scene on thescreen: something to dowith Bruce Willis and anairplane and police. I startedgetting ready for bed. Butsomething wasn’t quiteright.

I went back to the TV—and realized what it was. Ishook him awake. “You’rewatching Die Hard again,” Istated. “Yup,” he replied. “It’sin Spanish,” I pointed out.He hesitated for a moment.“It really doesn’t matter,” heanswered, and went back tosleep.

I didn’t think so.

A Note From LaurenDie Hard

with a LethalWeapon Part 4


In this series of Jam arti-cles, we will introduce you,the fan, to some of the trulyoutstanding individuals whocomprise the McNeese StateCowboys. And there is nobetter place to begin than atthe top, with Head CoachMatt Viator.

Born September 3, 1963,Viator graduated from Mc-Neese State University andhas chosen to ground his ca-reer in the Imperial Cal-casieu area, first as anassistant at Sam HoustonHigh (1986-88), then as headcoach in Vinton (1989-1990). In Jennings (1991-1994), he won a state cham-pionship and was namedLouisiana Coach of the Yearin 1992. He went on to Sul-phur (1995-1998, LouisianaCoach of the Year in 1998)and finally became first anassistant at MSU, then thehead coach (2006 to pres-ent). He was elevated to headcoach four games into the2006 season after the firingof Tommy Tate.

And if all those positionsand accolades were notenough, consider this: Viatorhas earned numerous coach-ing honors including twoSLC coach of the yearawards. He has also been afinalist for the national EddieRobinson Award twice.

Viator claimed his firstcollegiate coaching victory inhis very first game as headcoach when the Cowboysposted a 30-27 win overSouthern Utah in 2006. His50th win came in excitingfashion as the Cowboys de-feated conference foeStephen F. Austin 35-24 onHomecoming night last Oct.27.

Through the first twogames of the 2013 season,Viator has compiled an over-all record of 54 wins and 24losses. Now, his team isranked in the CBS Poll forall college football teams inAmerica, large and small atall levels. If his team winsSaturday night at home, he

will be above the 70 percentmark, tall cotton for anyfootball coach. The 14thhead coach in McNeese his-tory, his 6-2 rookie recordincludes a 5-1 mark in leagueplay, with the team winningthe final five league games ofthe year.

As the winningest activecoach in the league, Viatorwill carry a 52-24 overallrecord and a 35-13 leaguemark into the upcoming sea-son.

Programs in the South-land Conference must “playup” and face opponents suchas South Florida and LSU tohelp their programs finan-cially, as well as improvetheir teams for late seasoncompetition. The nearly 70percent winning percentageCoach Viator has compiled isremarkable.

His 2007 team was thefourth in school history to goundefeated and untied in theregular season. Three of histeams (2006, 2007, and 2009)have won the SouthlandChampionship. His teamshave been ranked in the FCStop 25 polls five of the lastseven years.

During his tenure, Cow-boy offenses have led theSLC in scoring five times andset school records in 2008 intotal offense per game, pass-ing offense and scoring aver-age per game.

In this day of head coachexits like Bobby Petrino andChip Kelly (not to mentionNick Saban) and trade-ups tothe ranks of the pros, whatkeeps a winner like Matt Via-tor in Lake Charles? Onemight assume the “force” (ofSouthwest Louisiana) isstrong with this one. [Apolo-

gies to George Lucas and theStar Wars movies]. That as-sumption might not be so farfrom the truth.

First of all, he is a legacy.His late father is in the Mc-Neese Hall of Fame, a factorthat would swell almost anyman’s chest with pride. Thisis his program to complete,to continue toward great-ness, and, if possible, toreach the pinnacle.

Secondly, he has stayednear home during his entirecareer. This brings about twodistinct differences from“trade-up” coaches. First, hiscareer connections are

strong in the region. A callfrom Coach Viator showinginterest in a young manmeans a lot to Louisianacoaches. The second differ-ence is his deep knowledgeof Louisiana talent. BothNick Saban, when he was atLSU, and Les Miles, theircurrent coach, marvel at thetalent in this region.

Finally, he is a familyman. Privacy will be pro-tected by this publication,but Coach Viator realizes asso many of do, that South-west Louisiana is a prettygreat place to live and raisea family.

Coach MattViator


“Hunters! Hunters!Hunters! Do you knowwhat season it is?” askedthe camel-colored GoldenRetriever who then barkedout. “It’s teal season! Woof!Woof! Woof!”

Many of you spent theweekend in the swamps,rivers, marshes, or ricefields prepping yourblinds. Some of you spentyour weekend swelteringin the Louisiana sauna,honing your aim at thefrustratingly elusive doves.Since this article comes outon September 12, what weall need is a cool front fortwo reasons: one, to aid indove and teal migrations;two, to turn the thermostatdown a notch above termi-nal sauna for hunters andtheir dogs.

So, water fowlers, here’syour prep list!

• Shotgun cleanedand oiled

• Shells purchased• License and stamps

purchased• Boots checked for leaks

and spiders• Outboard, mud boat,

go-devil or three-wheeler tuned, greased, gassed, and oiled

• Decoys restrung, weighted and bagged

• Bottled water for the dogs and hunters

• Fresh batteries in your Robeaux-Duck, remotes, and flashlights.

• Life preservers checked• Mosquito repellant • Dog treats and retrieving

rocks for dogs (Hartz Mountain Jerky Treats are good for humans too and come Ray Thibodeau recommended).

• Dog leash

• Swivel-seated shell buckets cleaned outand restocked

• First-aid kit• Loan from bank• Check the number of days left of your sick leave

• For those of you fortu-nate enough to have a camp or lodge-- another bank loan

• Check pre-nup for aban-donment clause in rela-tion to hunting seasons

My best teal seasonhunts have taken place atmy family’s rice farm southof Lacassine, Jimmy Bel’sHackberry Hilton, andblind #6 at Lacoste Lodge.

When my Golden Re-triever Prez “the wonderdog” was six months old, Itook him on his first hunt.There were to be six of uslocated around the roseauxcane island behind blind #6. All those people andGlen Bergeron’s huge yel-low Lab Beaux made Preznervous, so he leaned intome, his head on my knee,during the boat ride out.We walked the 300 yards ofhard-bottomed marsh andset up around the islandabout 15 minutes beforeshooting time.

It didn’t take my puplong to go from tentative tofrolic during the moonlittrek there. It was retrieverheaven with the water onlyabout a foot or so deep and

a bottom just made for re-trievers running wide open.We threw out a dozen de-coys on the east and westside of the isle. The mostlyfresh water pond is about20 acres with the islandsmack dab in the middle.Having scouted the islandwhile preparing the marshand blinds prior to teal sea-son, we knew there werehundreds of birds in thatarea. Thus, the dove shootfor teal.

I no sooner sat my buttdown on my swivel seatshell bucket than I got “thelook” from Prez. My frol-icking canine puppy, whohad never been huntingand only occasionally shotaround when training, wasdead serious, his eyes scan-ning the marsh for teal inthe dim dawn. And thenthere they were, cascading,sailing, and lighting aroundus. Hundreds of themeverywhere. It was likebeing in the center of a tealtornado. Sounding morelike an assault on the teal,shots bam-boomed in averitable cacophony ofshooting. Teal swirled andguns whirled to greet themand fowl tumbled from thesky. There was no lull.Thirty-three minutes and24 teal later, it stopped.

I had unhooked Prezfrom the leash and said,“fetch” on the first bird I

shot. He didn’t come backat first, just held the bird inhis mouth. I hadn’t trainedhim to retrieve beyonddoubles on birds. Hewatched the more experi-enced Beaux having somuch fun picking up,bringing back, and drop-ping birds, only to takeback off to fetch in theseeming continuous bar-rage of shots and fowl.Prez, having learned fromBeaux, hurried back anddropped the bird at myfeet.

“Oh, Hell Yeah!” hebarked out and leapt off tofetch.

And he did. One, two,three, four, five, six, seven,eight, nine, and then thetenth. With puppy exuber-ance he leapt out again onlyto halt in mid-retrieve. Theonly birds left on the waterwere the decoys. He glancedback at me and then did a360 turn and then a 180 andlooked to me for assistance.I just laughed. Then Prezsought guidance from theexuberant pack of hunterswho were making moreracket than a kennel full ofLabs with a female in heatleashed up outside the fence.No help there, so he ambledback, sat at my feet andgazed up with such pure joyI had to tear up. Such anepiphany should always beshared. Now I have.

Teal Season

ByRoger Miller


One thing thatLouisiana has in commonwith my home state ofMaryland is the love ofseafood. It’s one of severalthings, actually, anotherbeing the number ofpoliticians doing time.

Crabs are by far themost popular seafooditem in Maryland. TheChesapeake Bay producesblue crabs—the same onesthat inhabit the watershere. The problem inMaryland is that the de-mand for crabs far out-strips the Bay’s ability tosupply. This has led to aCrab Crisis up there, withlines at the seafood housesextending longer than thatfor returns at themenswear departmentafter Father’s Day.

Louisiana, by contrast,has extensive crab re-serves, and so the state ex-ports bushels uponbushels of the “blue gold”in order to satisfy Mary-landers’ insatiable appetitefor the crustacean. Thishas not gone unnoticed bythe politicians up there,many of who have begunclamoring for Marylandto develop a plan for “crabindependence.”

I’m not sure that’s re-

ally necessary, as I see lit-tle chance of Louisianadeclaring a crab embargo.(The state could disruptworld affairs more effec-tively with a reality showembargo if that were itsaim.) Further, I’m noteven sure how Marylandwould go about becomingcrab independent. Its re-serves are nearly ex-hausted as a result of somany crab-guzzling en-trees on the menus.

The only way I see todo it would be through ra-tioning. For example,they might only allow youto order crab soup if yoursign is Cancer. Thatwould be a very bad dealfor the Scorpios, but then,they’re only one-twelfth ofthe electorate.

In the meantime, myold friends in Marylandcontinue to devour theircrabs, despite soaringprices at the stands, with abushel now running aboutthe equivalent of an IvyLeague education.

I say all of this becauseit puzzles me why, when Ireturn there for visits, myfriends and family insiston ordering crabs strictlyfor my benefit. They donot realize that this is the

My Crab’s Biggerequivalent of my visitingJapan and being taken toeat at a McDonald’s, whereI doubt there’s any “Big” in“Mac,” yet you’ll pay aboutwhat you would for aprime rib stateside.

It was par for thecourse on my recent tripNorth, my sister havingmade plans to pick upcrabs on our first daythere.

“Don’t do it on my ac-count,” I said to her. “I justhad crabs at home fewweeks ago. The suckerswere so big that one couldhave crushed a car with itsclaw.”

“Come on,” my sisterchided.

“Well, a Ford Focus, atleast,” I answered.

“Yeah, well, downthere, you boil them. It’snot the same.”

That much is true. InMaryland, crabs are al-ways steamed. I believeit’s a state law that theycan’t touch liquid water atany point in the cookingprocess. The British, whoseem to boil everything,should enact such a lawwith regard to bread.

So, steamed crabs itwas. I watched as my kin-folk happily took theirmallets to the little bug-gers, some of whichlooked like they couldn’thold their own in a fightwith a crawfish.

“Don’t say anything,” Ithought to myself. Many afamily has been split overlesser things than crabenvy.


STUDENT FUNDRAISINGWith the school year well

underway, we can expectto be solicited by studentsseeking funds for schoolprojects. It is unfortunatethat children have to comeup with the money for somany endeavors that onewould think would be cov-ered. Like so many othersolicitations, the numberof requests gets burden-some. Corporations andbusinesses in generalbudget for a certainamount to be spent eachyear. As private individu-als, we want to help to thebest of our abilities, but wemust also use some disci-pline in our budgeting. Wehave made it a practice topredetermine whatamount we should givewhen requested for funds.With a guideline estab-lished, the amount ofstrain is greatly reduced

and it becomes amatter of who ratherthan how much. Imake it a point to

allow for the schoolkids’ requests. I

hate that theyhave to ask,but refusingthese young-

sters is as hardon me as it is on

them.

GALLERYPROMENADE

Later this month, we willagain be treated to theArts Council of SWLA’sGallery Promenade, opento the public, familyfriendly and gratis. Thisevent, held primarily inthe downtown area butalso at McNeese State Uni-versity, Sulphur and MossBluff galleries, will featurevarious forms of artwork.From 5 until 9 p.m., onFriday, September 27,there will be interestingexhibits, artists and dis-plays that showcase ourlocal art scene. Art aware-ness has been growing byleaps and bounds inSouthwest Louisiana andthis is a prime opportunityto visit some of our gal-leries. Many sites willserve complementary re-freshments and have spe-cial promotions. Markyour calendar for an en-joyable and culturally re-warding Friday night.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!Birthday parties were a

large part of our livesgrowing up. Whether theywere held at home, or atMr. Gatti’s, Chuck ECheese or wherever, it wassomething to look forwardto and remember. Birth-day get-togethers as weage tend to be a morestructured event. A groupof our friends has unoffi-cially established a customof letting the aged onechoose a restaurant loca-tion where the gang as-sembles. Customarily,each of us brings a bottleof a wine (or somethingelse, but no biggie re-quired or desired) for thehonoree. The point is tohave a good time and anenjoyable meal with goodfriends without the hassleor clean-up of cooking.Our group looks forwardto the next member’sbirthday, just like we didin our youth. Works outreally well for us—and itmay work for your gang offriends as well.

As I am out of town forthe deadline on my col-umn, I do not have ashopping survey for youfor this issue. As requestedby a faithful reader, weshall, on occasion, surveysome of the other super-markets in the greaterLake Charles area. As al-ways, your feedback is ap-preciated and solicited.

OMG! What a cutie!Benny was left outsidetied to my fence withhis bowls and toys leftin the mailbox. His ra-bies tag is fromLafayette. What despi-cable people to abandon

a pet. This sweetboy will make somefamily very happy.

Luckily, this lit-tle guy has nevermissed his

human family. Superconfident and alwayshappy, he is great withother dogs and loves toannoy cats. This is oneboy that won’t lastlong—he will be a won-derful family dog. Hewould prefer a fencedyard and at least onechild. Having another

doggie friend to keephim company while hischildren are in schoolwould be nice. This boyis sure to make yousmile. Call or email usat (337) 478-7294 [email protected] formore information.Hurry, Benny is waiting!

Love dogs and catsbut can’t adopt? Con-sider fostering. There isno joy like saving a lifeand there are so manyto be saved. Email usfor more info!

Featured by LaPAW Rescue


Now that autumn is al-most here, everyone istalking about football,football, football! Areahigh schools have plungedinto a great season. It’s aglorious time of year!

But with sports comeinjuries. And that’s whereLake Charles MemorialHospital’s Foundation forFairplay Fund comes in.

The Foundation forFairplay Fund, or F3 Foun-dation, was initiated as ameans to establish a levelplaying field for highschools in Calcasieu andsurrounding Parishes. Themajority of the funds areused to assist underfundedathletic programs in theprocurement of equipmentthat will assist in injuryprevention.

“Dr. Brett Cascio ap-proached me about start-ing a foundation thatwould raise funds on agrant basis to enable theunderfunded and/or unde-served schools to purchase

equipment that would pre-vent injuries, such as headconcussions and knee in-juries, the most commoninjuries he sees,” said boardmember Leif Pedersen, VPof Philanthropy at Memo-rial Hospital.

“Through the process ofdesigning theguidelines/standards forschool athletic programson concussion awareness,Dr. Cascio came to the re-alization that many of ourarea high schools are se-verely lacking in financialsupport due to school,Parish and State cutbacksand, in many cases, almostnon-existent booster or-ganization support,” Peder-sen continued. “Thebooster clubs can make astrong impact on addi-tional funding, but theymust be aggressively activeand in an area where busi-ness and corporate supportis feasible. That is not nec-essarily the case for severalof our area schools.”

Along with Dr. Cascioand community leader

John Condos, they de-cided the best

approachwould be

to estab-lish a

fund

under the umbrella of TheFoundation at LCMHrather than a separatefoundation.

“That way, allof the recordingand reporting in-frastructurewould already bein place,” Peder-sen continued.“We then set outto create an Ad-visory Board thatwould be madeof up communityleaders from allprofessionalfields--a com-mittee we nowhave in place andthe same groupwho helped raiseover $100,000 inthe first sixmonths of the Fund.”

Pedersen said that TheFoundation at LCMH,along with the Foundationfor Fairplay Advisory

Committee has committedto fund the remaining fouryears of the five-year grant.

“All schools must com-

plete a grant request thatcomplies with the grantguidelines and is signed bythe coach, athletic director,and principal,” said Karen

Drewitt, Vice President ofIberia Bank and Chairmanof the Foundation at LakeCharles Memorial Hospi-

tal.The Advisory

Board has raisedover $115,000 tosupport all CalcasieuParish Schools whoqualify for grant-structured aide.Over $70,000 has al-ready been awardedthrough this writtengrant process bene-fitting more than tenschools.

“Payments ofcash are not awardedto the grant recipi-ents; the equipmentrequested via thegrant process isgiven to the Founda-

tion which then donatesthe equipment to the ath-letic departments whohave completed the grantrequests,” she said. “The

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Darryl and Karen Drewitt

Dr. Brett Cascio, John Condos and Leif Pedersen


Bill BelcherBrett Cascio, M.D.

John CondosGeorge JordanStephen LilesLee Mallette

Mickey MossLeif Pedersen

Patricia PrebulaRan Prince

Charles WhitsonRichard Wilson

Foundation deals with thefinest athletic vendors,such as Ridell Sports, toobtain the best equipmentand best pricing by ‘grouppurchasing.’ Starting thissummer, grants will nowbe awarded with a $2,500cap per request andmatched up to an addi-tional $2,500 from boosterorganizations.”

Dr. Brett Cascio’s en-thusiasm for what theFoundation has achieved isinfectious. “We are moresuccessful than what wehad hoped,” he said. “It wasjust an idea, and Leif hadthe mechanism to make ithappen. Everyone has beenvery generous.”

Dr. Cascio points outthe ever-increasing needfor good safety equipmentfor student athletes. “Thereare so many more contacthours now than in the past.Nowadays, kids can be ontwo or three travelingteams. This increases thelikelihood of injuries. Sodoes shoddy equipment.”

More than Safety Equipment

The Foundation doesmore than fund safetyequipment. It has financedthe ACL Prevention Pro-gram in local high schoolsfor female athletes.

The anterior cruciateligament, or ACL, is a band

of tissue, whichacts as the pri-mary stabilizer ofthe knee. ACLtears can be a sea-son-ending injuryto athletes andcommonly occursin sports involv-ing cutting andjumping, such assoccer and bas-ketball. The rateof injury is muchhigher among fe-male athletes.

“It’s a com-puter system thatwe bring to theschools,” Dr. Cas-

cio said. “Among otherthings, it teaches the girlshow to jump and to landcorrectly. We start with theathletes in their freshmanyear and come back everyyear to reinforce it.”

Also, a new endowedfund is being incorporatedto assist student athleteswith scholarship opportu-nities as well, where appli-cable.

“With the scholarshipfund, we want to make adifference in the lives ofkids who otherwise maynot have been able to fur-ther their education,” Dr.Cascio said. “If we can helpthem, we hope that someday, they will be able to

give it back.”“I couldn’t be more sat-

isfied with the results thusfar,” said Pedersen. “Oursecond Moonlight JazzCruise should raise at least$30,000 in a two ½ hourevent, and that’s the kindof support we are seeing.And, we will hold a trulyunique event in the spring

that may raise $50,000 to$75,000 in one evening--but more on that later!”

For further informa-tion regarding the Foun-dation for Fairplay Fund,please contact the Founda-tion at LCMH, (337) 494-3226.

Second AnnualMoonlight Jazz CruiseFunds for the Foundation for Fairplay are

raised through events such as the annualMoonlight Jazz Cruise on The Lady of theLake yacht.

The 2013 event will be held on Thursday,Sept. 19. The yacht will be docked atL’Auberge Casino Resort and will be ready forboarding at 6:30 p.m. with departure at 7p.m. It will return to the L’Auberge dock at9:30 p.m. There will be premium mixeddrinks, hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, and out-standing live auction items. For ticket infor-mation, contact Leif Pedersen, Senior V.P. ofPhilanthropy at (337) 494-3226.

All donations made to the Foundation forFairplay Fund or The Foundation at LCMHare tax-deductible as prescribed by law.

Foundation for Fairplay Board Members

Dr. Brett Cascio and Memorial Hospital CEOLarry Graham


like Monty.After the gator has

been hooked, the hunterswill slowly pull the lineand the gator, with thehook inside him, or her,has really no choice but tofollow. Once closeenough, the gator will beshot, once, in the "softspot." If you shoot it morethan once you're justgoing to make it mad.That's when they startrolling and thrashingabout, dangerous stuff. Soyou want a good steadyhand on the gun. After allthat, the gator is hauled inthe boat and tagged; then,it's off to look for the nextbait line.

Alligator Meatballs

I'm usually luckyenough to get some alliga-tor meat. One of my fa-vorite things to make aremy soon-to-be-famousAlligator Meatballs. My

guests love them.

What You’ll Need1 1/2 pounds alligatormeat (cleaned)1 cup vegetable oil4 stalks celery2 good-sized onions1 bunch green onion2 tablespoons mincedgarlic1/2 cup parsley2 pounds mashed pota-toes6-8 eggs1 ounce black pepper2 ounces salt3 ounces of your fa-vorite Cajun seasoning2 pounds of seasonedbread crumbsPlenty of oil for frying

What You’ll DoGrind the alligator

meat, onions, celery, pars-ley, green onion and garlictogether. Cook in the veg-etable oil for about 5-6minutes and transfer to alarge mixing bowl. Addthe mashed potatoes andeggs, as well as all the sea-sonings. Mix well, letchill, shape into balls, androll in the bread crumbsand fry. Let cool for a bitand enjoy with myJalapeno Tartar Sauce.We'll save that recipe foranother day!

Enjoy!! And don't for-get to Stir Dat Pot!!

Well it's September andwe all know what thatmeans: school is back insession, college and profootball kick off their sea-sons, and of course, therewas thatlast bigbarbecueon LaborDay. Herein theGreatState ofLouisiana,it alsomeanstwo otherthings:gator andteal sea-son.

Let'stalk about gator season fornow. It opens up this weekand the local hunterscouldn't be more excited. Iwas talking with myfriend Monty "Gator"Pearce and he told methey expect some real bigones this season. Earlierthis year, a group went outto scout and collect eggsand bring them to a co-opso they can somewhatcontrol the gator popula-tion. As we all learnedback in school, the growngators will eat the young.

It's just the way it is. Iguess there aren't a lot ofMother's Day cardshanded out in the marsh.

I asked Monty how hewas preparing and he

more orless toldme heknowswhere thegators arerightnow, sohe andthe otherhunterswill goout thenight be-fore andstake outthe bait.

The bait hangs abovethe water on bamboopoles. The higher out ofthe water, the bigger thegator, if they're out there.“Your average gator canjump about half its bodylength out of the water,”Monty said. Think aboutthat next time you're dan-gling fish scraps off awharf at a gator. If its tailis resting on the bottom--look out. They can launchout at you. This is my wayof telling you to leave thegator hunting to the pros,

Gator TimeBy David Yantis


American/FamilyCracker Barrel249 S. Cities ServiceHwy., Sulphur

337-626-9500

O’Charley’s1780 W. Prien

Lake Rd.Lake Charles

337-478-9927

Ryan’sFamily Restaurant4501 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-477-2707

AsianAsia at L’Auberge777 Avenue L’Auberge,Lake Charles337-395-7777

Osaka JapaneseSteakhouse3035 Gertsner MemorialDrive, Lake Charles337-990-5478

Kyoto JapaneseSteakhouse2610 Dillard LoopLake Charles337-478-2888

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse3241 E. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-480-3788

MiyakoJapanese Restaurant915 E. Prien Lake Rd.,Lake Charles337-478-1600

Peking Garden2433 Broad St., Lake Charles337-436-3597

Pho Tien4415 Nelson RoadLake Charles337-477-8557

China Taste1415 Beglis Pkwy.Sulphur337-527-5985

Yank Sing4626 Nelson Rd.Lake Charles337-477-9004

Bakery & DessertsCypi’s Cake Box520 McNeese St.Lake Charles337-478-0269

Pronia’s3101 Kirkman St.Lake Charles337-478-0785

Sweets and Treats411 Ryan St., Lake Charles337-437-3913

BarbecueDan’s BBQ Express2635 Country Club Rd.Lake Charles337-478-5858

Famous Foods1475 Gerstner MemorialDr., Lake Charles337-439-7000

Bar-B-Que Pit Stop2400 A. Westwood Rd.Westlake337-433-7818

BreakfastLe Peep Café3800 Ryan St.,Lake Charles337-240-8497

Pitt Grill606 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-564-6724

Pitt Grill2600 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0648

Waffle House2488 S. Cities ServiceHwy., Sulphur337-626-8111

BurgersCotton’s FamousHamburgers2001 Oak Park Blvd.Lake Charles337-477-9759

Five GuysBurgers & Fries2950 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-721-1903Novrozsky’s Hamburgers2706 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0041

Cajun & SouthernRichard's Boudinand Seafood Mart2250 E. NapoleonSulphur337-625-2030

The Sausage Link2400 E. Napoleon St.Sulphur337-625-2030

LeBleu's Landingand Sausage LinkSpecialty Meats202 Henning Dr.Sulphur337-528-6900

B&O Kitchen & Grocery3011 E. Burton St.Sulphur337-625-4637

Boiling Point1730 S. Beglis Pkwy.Sulphur337-625-9282

Boudin King906 West Division St.Jennings337-824-6593

Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen1709 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0062

Rabideaux’sSausage Kitchen105 US 165, Iowa337-582-3184

Southern Spice3901 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-474-6065

Walker’sCajun Dining603 Holiday Dr., Jennings337-616-0766

Italian121 Artisan Bistro121 DeBakey Dr.Lake Charles337-310-7499

Joe’s Pizza and Pasta1601 Ruth St., Sulphur337-528-2560

Romano’s731 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-491-1847


MediterraneanZeus Greek &Lebanese Café409 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-439-7099

Mazen’s217 W. College St.Lake Charles337-477-8207

MexicanAgave Tamale521 Alamo St.Lake Charles337-433-4192

Agave Tamale1614 Sampson St.Westlake337-429-2987

El Tapatio2624 GerstnerMemorial Dr.Lake Charles337-475-9022

El Tapatio Dos808 Sampson St.Westlake337-721-7685

Rosita’s2401 Napoleon St.Sulphur337-533-9077

Casa Manana2510 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-433-4112

CancunMexican Restaurant4001 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-477-6802

La Rumba MexicanGrill & Cantina1804 Ruth St., Sulphur337-287-4846

Coyote BluesFresh Mexican Grill

3624 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-502-5131

PizzaCici’s Pizza3533 Ryan St. Lake Charles337-562-2223

Gatti’s Pizza1811 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0318

Gatti’s Pizza3522 Ryan St. Lake Charles337-474-6225

Papa John’s Pizza1415 Beglis Pkwy. Sulphur337-528-7272

Papa John’s Pizza650 W. McNeese St.Lake Charles337-474-7272

Rotolo’s Pizzeria4201 Nelson Rd.Lake Charles337-478-1996

Sandwiches, Soups & SaladsNina P’s Café600 W. McNeese St.Lake Charles337-479-2201

Pappy’s Deli2627 Ryan St. Lake Charles337-436-2813

Roly Poly2241 Maplewood Dr.Sulphur337-625-5555

Roly Poly3100 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-433-3130

Roly Poly4423 Nelson Rd. Lake Charles337-474-3332

SeafoodGranger’sSeafood Restaurant2636 Hwy. 3059Lake Charles337-433-9130

Regatta Seafoodand Steakhouse508 Hawkeye Ave.Lake Arthur337-774-1504

Seafood Palace2218 Enterprise Blvd.Lake Charles337-433-9293

Kenny’s Katfish Kabin1577 W. Fourth St.Dequincy337-786-5562

Steamboat Bill’son the Lake1004 N. Lakeshore Dr.Lake Charles337-494-1070

Steamboat Bill’s732 N. Martin LutherKing Blvd.Lake Charles337-494-1700

Boiling Point1730 Beglis Pkwy.Sulphur337-625-9282

SteaksBig Sky SteakhouseCoushatta Casino777 Coushatta Dr.,Kinder800-584-7263

The Harlequin501 W. College St.Lake Charles337-439-2780


LC Little Theater’s On With the ShowThrough Sept. 22

Over 65 musicalshave played upon

the many stagesthat the Lake

Charles Little The-ater has called

home. The seasonopens this year with amusical revue of someof their favorite songsand dances from thepast. Performances areat 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. onSundays). Lake CharlesLittle Theatre, 813 Enter-prise Blvd., LakeCharles. Call (337) 433-7988 for tickets.

Gulf Coast Bird ClubSept. 12

The Gulf Coast BirdClub’s monthly meetingwill be held at McNeeseState University’s FraschHall Auditorium, Room106 on Sept. 12 at 7 pm.Guest speaker is SuzieHeck with HeckhavenWildlife RehabilitationCenter, who will have liveowls and other raptors todemonstrate to the group.The Gulf Coast Bird Clubis dedicated to promotingthe knowledge and con-servation of birdlife, otherwildlife, natural habitatsand natural resources; andto fostering an apprecia-tion of our natural envi-ronment and of thesignificance of its influ-ence upon human life. Formore information, call474-7325 or go tohttp://sites.google.com/site/gulfcoastbirdclub/.

Girls’ Night OutSept. 12

Time for a night outwith the girls! Go toSears Court in the PrienLake Mall and enjoy thisfree event from 5-9p.m. on Thurs., Sept.12. There will be afashion show, spaservices, health &wellness and fitness &

nutrition vendors, mas-sages, door prizes, swagbags (while supplies last),and more!

Tasting on the Terrace Sept. 12

Sample wine and beerfrom all over the worldat L’Auberge Casino Re-sort from 6-8 p.m.! Inaddition, L’Auberge hasdonated a Chef’s TastingLuncheon for 8 fromEmber Grille & Wine Barthat will be raffled offthat evening. The eventbenefits the Children’sAdvocacy Center. Formore information, call(337) 436-9533.

Geaux Golfing Fore Volunteers of America Sept. 13

Geaux Golfing Fore Vol-unteers of America is a 4-person scramble golftournament on Friday,September 13, at The Na-tional Golf Course inWestlake, Louisiana. TeeTime is 8 a.m. Registra-tion is open for teams of4 for only $300. On theday of the event, partici-pants can sign up for indi-vidual contests andpurchase tickets for prizeraffles. Sponsorships arealso available. For infor-mation, please contactKayVanchiere at (337)497-0034 [email protected].

Team Roping USASept. 13-14

Action starts at 10 a.m.daily at the Pavilion atChoushatta Casino Re-sort. Free admission forspectators; children age16 and younger must beaccompanied by a parentor guardian to attend.

Lafitte’s LadiesRoller Derby Sept. 14

Lafitte's Ladies meetFlorida’s Beach BrawlSkater Dolls in a hard-hit-

ting, action-packed gameon Sept. 14 at The Grind-house, 932 EnterpriseBlvd. in Lake Charles.Doors open at 6 p.m. andfirst whistle blows at 7.Tickets are $12 at thedoor or order them on-line. If you get your pre-sale tickets from arollergirl or online, youwill be entered for achance to sit in the VIPsitting area. This event isBYOB, and remember tobring a chair. The Spot-light Charity for this eventis the SouthwestLouisiana Area Health Ed-ucation Center. Visit themon Facebook or online atwww.gulfcoastrollergirls.com.

Black RodeoSept. 14

The 4th Annual LakeCharles Black Rodeo willbe held at the LakeCharles Civic Center. Tail-gate Party starts at 5p.m.; rodeo begins at 8p.m. Watch 300 blackcowboys in “The BaddestShow on Dirt!” Live enter-tainment by Lil Nathanand the Zydeco BigTimers and Tucka, theKing of Swing! For ticketinformation, call (903)753-3165.

Free Range ReadingSeries Sept. 19

Come out to StellarBeans and hear the wordsof students from Mc-Neese’s top-ranked MFAprogram. Open mic op-portunity towards theend. Begins at 8 p.m. Stel-lar Beans, 319 Broad St.,Lake Charles.

LYFAO ComedyShow Sept. 19

Hosted by Kristi "PrettyFace" Wooldridge, LakeCharles’ very own "HOTDOG LADY” from 9 to 11p.m. at Myplace AmericanPub, next to Anytime Fit-ness on Prien Lake Rd. 18and up only. Hilariouscomics from New Orleans

Sept 14 – Lake Charles Black Rodeo

Sept 21 – Midnight Fantasy Car Show

Sept 26 – Home Health Harvest Fest

Sept 27 - 29 – LC Symphony

Oct 1 – New Life Counsel Banquet

Oct 5-6 - Shrine Circus

Oct 17 - Women’s CommissionConference

Oct 18-19 - LC Symphony

Oct 25 - Unitech Graduation

Oct 26 – Cultural Festival

Oct 26 – Arts Festival

Oct 31 – Harvest Festival (Recreation & Parks Dept)

Oct 29-31 – Chamber Theatre (tentative)

Nov 1 – Chamber Theatre (tentative)

Nov 9 – Patriot’s Ball

Nov 10 - Jesus Christ Superstar(Theatre Prod.)

Nov 11-12 – Sesame Street

Nov 13 – Melody House

Nov 14-17 – Film Festival

Nov 16-17 – Don Rich Gun Show

Nov 19 - 21 - Super Science Circus(only 1 of the 3 days, not confirmed which day)

Nov 21-23 – Mistletoe & Moss Market

Dec 7 – Lighting Festival & Boat Parade

Dec 7- LHSA Cheerleading Competition

Dec 13-14 – LCCB

Dec 27 – Moscow Ballet


and New York will bethere to make youlaugh your pants off!

Calcasieu Cinema International Sept. 20

English Vinglish, a2012 award-winningIndian film by GauriShinde, will be pre-sented free at 6 p.m.Fri., Sept. 20, in theauditorium of theCentral School Artsand Humanities Cen-ter by Calcasieu Cin-ema International.After the film, discus-sion will be led by Dr.Ram Nileshwar andAnkita Choudhary.This month’s sponsoris Rita and Bal Sareen.A taste of Indian food-- along with freepopcorn and drinks --will also be provided.For more information,email [email protected] [email protected].

St. Theresa’s Bon Ton Festival Sept. 20-22

St. Theresa's BonTon Festival is a local,family-friendly festi-val known for music,rides and especiallyfood! Enjoy bingo,live and silent auc-tions, a country store,sweet shop andgarage sale. Therewill be a coveredpavilion with plentyof room for dancing,eating and visiting,and a 5K run for kids.The event is held atSt. Theresa CatholicChurch in Carlyss.Hours: Fri. 5-10:30p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.; Sun. 10a.m. - 3 p.m. For moreinformation, call 583-4800.

The Secret Gar-den Sept. 20-29

ACTS Theatre pres-ents The Secret Gar-

den Fridays and Sat-urdays at 7:30 p.m.and Sundays at 3 p.m.ACTS Theatre, 1 ReidSt., Lake Charles. Formore information, call(337) 433-2287 oremail [email protected].

MidnightFantasies Car, Truck,& Bike ShowSept. 21-22

This show hasgrown each year withas many as 400-plusshow vehicles, alongwith vendors, food,crank-it contest, dynopulls, rock climb,trading card shows,games, music andmuch more! No icechests or pets al-lowed. Sept. 21-22,from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m.at the Lake CharlesCivic Center. Adults$10/day, kids 10 andunder free. Call (337)263-0655 for more in-formation.

Gallery Promenade Sept. 27

At SWLA Arts’Council’s GalleryPromenade, galleries,art venues and muse-ums across the LakeArea work in a coordi-nated effort to opentheir doors and takepart in an extensivepromenade of currentexhibits and local art.Each year, over 15venues from down-town Lake Charles toMcNeese campus andSulphur to Moss Bluffopen their doors from6-9 p.m. and featuredozens of local artistsand exhibits. This is acelebratory event thatencourages the publicto travel gallery togallery for a compre-hensive and engagingexperience of the di-versity of Southwest

Louisiana's art andthe many artists andart spaces that arefurther developingthe region's culturaleconomy. For moreinformation, call (337)439-2787.

Chennault Airshow Sept. 28-29

The Chennault In-ternational Airshowwill fill the sky overLake Charles Sept.28-29 at beginning at10 a.m. with thrill-a-minute aerobaticstunts, precision ma-neuvers and dozensof rarely-seen aircraft.Airshow crowds willgather for Saturdayand Sunday shows atChennault Interna-tional Airport on theeast side of LakeCharles’ former AirForce base with atwo-mile-long runwaycapable of handlingany aircraft flyingtoday. As the onlymajor airshow sched-uled in Louisiana thisyear, the Chennaultshow promises to pro-vide thrills for avia-tion fans from all overthe state. The show islocated at 3650 Sen.J. Bennett JohnstonAve. Lake Charles. Formore information goto [email protected].

Children’s MuseumActivities

Friday, September 13Finger Paint

Paint with your fingers from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. in the ArtSpace.

Saturday, September 14Sasol’s Second Saturday Science ShowSasol’s Theresa Bell will demonstrate

the cool things that can be done withpressure at 11 a.m. Experiments include:Inflate a balloon with lemon juice and

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

Saturday, September 14Wheel of Phonics Grand Opening

Be here 1 p.m. for the grand opening of the museum’s newest exhibit,

“The Wheel of Phonics!”

Thursday, September 19Adventures of the Senses

This is a program for families withautism spectrum disorders. It is an after-hours opportunity to come and enjoy themuseum with families dealing with similar

impairments. It also allows parents tohelp their children develop language andsocial skills. This program is from 5-6:30

p.m. Admission fees paid by SWLAAutism Chapter. Donations are welcome.

The Children's Museum is located at 327Broad Street downtown Lake Charles. Museum

hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondaythrough Saturday. Admission is $7.50 for chil-

dren and adults. Call 337-433-9420 or visitwww.swlakids.org for more information.

McNeese State Univer-sity will host musiciansfrom 30 high schoolsacross Louisiana and Texas.The All-Star High SchoolMarching Band will takethe field this Saturday, Sept.14, at Cowboy Stadiumwith the Pride of McNeeseCowboy Marching Band toperform an exciting half-time show at the McNeesevs. West Alabama footballgame at 7 p.m.

The high school bandstudents will arrive on

campus Saturday afternoonfor registration and for re-hearsal of a halftime per-formance with theMcNeese band. Followingrehearsal and a dinner atthe Band Hall, the com-bined Pride of McNeeseBand and the All-Star Bandwill march through theGrove and tailgating areaon their way to the sta-dium, performing for thou-sands of spirited Cowboyfans along the way.

Louisiana high schools

represented include Barbe,Basile, Central Lafourche,Denham Springs, De-Quincy, DeRidder, EastBeauregard, Erath, Iowa,Jennings, Kinder, La-Grange, Merryville,Rosepine, Sam Houston,South Beauregard, St.Louis, Sulphur, Welsh andWestlake. Texas highschools include Buna, Cor-rigan-Camden, Deweyville,Hull-Daisetta, Liberty, Lit-tle Cypress Mauriceville,Orangefield and Warren.

MSU Hosts All-Star Marching Band Sept. 14


Slowly but surely,we’re seeing more op-tions pop up in South-west Louisiana when itcomes to fun and enter-tainment. I’m anticipat-ing a surge to occur atsome point where therewill be so many new

businesses I won’t be ableto keep up. Until then,I’ll continue bringing youthe new information thatI’m aware of. Thanks topages being created onFacebook like DevelopLake Charles, SupportLocal and so on, my job

gets a bit easier. Let me start with an

establishment I am sureyou are now aware ofthanks to The Jam. Thenew 3Topia will soonopen next to Zeus onPrien Lake Road. Thisplace alone should exciteeveryone. They will offervideo games on your fa-vorite consoles, fantasyfootball, which will ap-peal to many in the LakeArea, along with boardgames for my friends likeJoshua Pullig. For movielovers, they will serve upmovie nights along withfood and beverages. Witha tag line such as “Drink.Eat. Play,” I’m ready for3topia to open. Like theirFacebook page so youcan stay updated.

There’s a new placethat is still under wraps,but from what I hear, itwill be very impressive.New owners and man-agement will take a for-mer hot spot and make iteven hotter. Let’s just saythis place will change thegame when it comes to agreat and unique atmos-phere. I am sworn to se-crecy, so as soon as I’mgiven the go ahead, TheJam will make sure youknow all the details.

I have tried time andagain to get details onHeist, a modern wine barlocated on Ryan and Di-

vision Streets, but havebeen unsuccessful ongetting the scoop on thisplace. It’s been in theworks for a few years butfor some reason, it’s beenslow going. They recentlyadded an outdoor sign,so hopefully that meansprogress. A few holidaycelebrations and specialevents have taken placethere and most attendeesreport being impressed.

I’m somewhat sad-dened to say that sincethe summer break hascome and gone, my levelof laughter might de-crease, but I’m hopingthat’s not the case. I reallyenjoyed knowing that wehad Jen Kober’s Home-grown Comedy Showeach week at L’AubergeCasino Resort. Jen’sLuna Live performanceswere also a hit. Comedybecame a summer trend,helping amateur comedi-ans hone in on theirskills. Who knew therewas so much comedictalent here?

Comedy has becomesuch a high point for ourarea that Dharma hasstarted featuring Com-edy Time-Out with localcomedians such asSamuel Owens andChase Bonin, who were apart of Jen Kober’s sum-mer shows. The trendeven brought comedians

from all over to town likeJason Schommer and JenBascom, thanks to Jen.Some of Louisiana’s well-established comedianslike Mattie Catania andCorey Mack will be onstage with Kristi “PrettyFace” Wooldrige. I'mlooking forward to thisevent, which takes placeon September 19 at MyPlace American Pub.

On the serious side, Ihave to mention the greatagriculturalists in ourarea that are using theirskills to improve our wayof life--from the farmer'smarkets to communitygardens benefiting thehomeless, and schoolchildren and families as awhole. Thanks to thePartnership for a Health-ier SWLA along with in-dividuals like DerekHasha, Tiffany Davis andJohn O'Donnell. Theyrepresent the youngblood in our community,using the skills they al-ready possess to see howthey can be beneficial toothers.

Look around andidentify the positives ofour area. What I've foundis that even when wehave things in town, likelaser tag and fun centers,we usually take them forgranted. How about wemake a commitment tosupport the local enter-prises and endeavors thatare taking a risk to betterour lives? There willcome a time when mycolumns will be but athing of the past, becauseeveryone will share thesame belief that our areais a great one to live in.For now, let me remindyou to be proud to live inSWLA because every vis-itor and newcomer is notafraid to spread word oftheir wonderful experi-ence in the place we callhome: SouthwestLouisiana.


Appreciatingthe Classics

At the Stars and Stripes Classic Car ShowAt Sulphur’s Heritage Square

People's Choice Award: Hollier's Cajun Kitchen

First Place - Traditional Boudin: Hollier's Cajun Kitchen

Second Place - Traditional Boudin: Sonnier's Sausage and Boudin

Third Place - Traditional Boudin: Market Basket

First Place - Specialty / Exotic: Market Basket (Smoked Boudin)

Second Place - Specialty / Exotic: Hollier's Cajun Kitchen (shrimp, crab boudin)

Third Place - Specialty / Exotic: LeBleu's Landing (Bacon wrapped smoked boudin)

Boudin Wars 2013 Winners


Ronnie Collins is asuccessful artist wholives down the road apiece in Jennings. Forthe past 22 years,Collins has been creat-ing beautiful oil paint-ings simply because heloves to paint. “I can’timagine doing anythingelse and feel very fortu-nate that I’ve been ableto make a living withmy art,” he said.

He is among a hand-ful of artists in this areawho are able to make afull-time living fromtheir creations. It’s notan easy life sometimes,but well worth it.Thanks to Facebook, ithas become easier. Re-cently, Collins posted animage of his latest workon his Facebook page,

and before the paintcould dry, a buyer calledwanting to purchase theentire series of four.

I have been followinghis work for some timenow. What I notice is akind, gentle man whoabsolutely loves thebeauty of our SouthwestLouisiana landscape,giving it his specialtouch in his work. Wehad a short visit recentlyand discussed his bodyof work and his forth-coming show duringGallery Promenade.

JAM: Judging byyour Facebook posts,you seem to relish theviews, the vistas, every-thing in your homestate. Is Louisiana yourfavorite subject?

RC: Yes, Louisiana is

my favorite subject topaint. It is what I know.I grew up fishing on thebayous around Welshand to this day I have alove for the bayous here,and the trees, thewildlife, the birds andthe people. There reallyis no place like home.People here are so wel-coming.

JAM: Did you go toart school, or are youmore of an intuitiveartist?

RC: I’m a graduate ofthe Art Institute of Dal-las. I’ve studied withseveral accomplishedartists and still continueto do so. I really neverget to where I feel mypaintings are the bestthey can be. I can alwayslearn more. I teach art

Ronnie Collins: Can’t Take theCountry out of this Artist

by Monica Hebert

Abraham Lincoln:The ImageHistoric City Hall1001 Ryan St.Lake CharlesMon- Fri 10 am- 5 pmSat 10 am- 2 pm8/2/2013-10/12/2013337-491-9147

Art duLac@ Pujo St. Café901 Ryan St.Lake Charles Mon-Fri11 am-9:30 pmSat noon-9:30 pm337-439-2054

Black HeritageGalleryCentral School809 Kirby St.Lake CharlesMon-Fri 9 am-5 pm337-488-8567

DeQuincyRailroad Museum400 Lake CharlesAve.DeQuincyTues-Sat 10 am-5 pmYear Around337-786-2823

DeQuincyTown Hall Museum218 E. Fourth St.DeQuincyMon-Thurs9 am-noonand 1 pm-4pm 337-786-8241

Imperial CalcasieuMuseum Presents“Flying Free” Worksby Vickie Singletary204 W. Sallier St. Lake CharlesTues-Sat 10 am-5 pm337-439-3797

Jack&John: Jack Amuny& Mark JohnHenning CulturalCenter

923 Ruth St., SulphurMon-Fri 10 am-noonand 1 pm-5 pm Sat 10 am-2 pm8/15/2013-9/19/2013337-527-0357

Linda Gleason RitchieExhibitGallery by the Lake106 W. PryceLake Charles(337) 436-1008

Mardi Gras Museumof Imperial Calcasieu809 Kirby St.Lake CharlesTues-Fri, 1 pm- 5 pm337-430-0043

USS OrleckNaval Museum604 N. EnterpriseBlvd.Lake CharlesMon-Fri 10 am-3 pm Sat 10 am -4 pm337-214-7447

Vintage ArtsBy Jeanne OwensCentral School809 Kirby St.Suite 212Lake CharlesMon-Fri 9 am-5 pm337-304-1165

W.H. Tupper GeneralMerchandise Museum311 N. Main St.JenningsMon-Fri 9 am-5 pm337-821-5532

“Tales and Travels”Through Jan. 12Painting the PagesThrough Oct. 12Stark Museum of ArtTues.-Sat.10 am-5 pmOrange, TX(409) 886-2787

Sunset Oaks


both here in Jenningsand in Lake Charles andI learn from my ownstudents. Sometimes,they come in with arti-cles or things they comeacross and we all teacheach other.

JAM: What else doyou do to make a living,or is art your single in-come stream?

RC: Ihave beendoing art fora living forabout 22years now. Ilove it. Ipaint when Iwant (mostof the time).Whowouldn'tlove a jobwhere theyare theirown boss? Iam headingto Coloradonext week todo someplein-airpainting. There havebeen many trips and ad-ventures that my love forpainting has taken meon.

JAM: What is your fa-vorite aspect of makingart?

RC: I guess my fa-vorite aspect of paintingis always having somenew project. The com-missions I work on arefor short periods of time.

Then, on to the next ad-venture. I have been for-tunate to work all overthe United States. NewYork, Chicago, Florida,Seattle, all over Texasand Louisiana, and peo-ple have been so nice tome. How can you hatethat?

JAM: Why do youpaint?

RC: Why do I paint?It is a part of who I am.I love it! I wake up mostmornings wanting topaint. Sometimes, I havea commission that I amnot really excited to do,but I always find myselfin a zone and loving it atsome point. I am alsoworking on these hugebackdrops for the 50thAnniversary of the Nut-cracker Ballet for Mc-

Neese. They are the hardest

thing I have ever done,because they are loosecanvas. Very hard topaint on moving canvas.They are 25 feet by 45feet. Three of them…Lord help me!

Collins has a delight-ful sense of humor andnever seems to have

those “dark” pas-sages that oftenplague artists.Often, at the spurof the moment,he will take aroad trip just be-cause he wants to.This is actually agood thing, for Ihave noticed howhis work in-creases upon hisreturn--especiallywhen he visitsNew Orleans.

Collins will beshowing his workpublicly duringThe Arts Coun-cil’s “Gallery

Promenade” the last Fri-day of September atPatsy Manuel’s FrameHouse Gallery in LakeCharles. Make sure youstop by. I imagine he willdo well, for usually,when a person views hiswork up close and per-sonal, there is a “breath-taking” moment thatunites the buyer withRonnie’s work. And it’sworth it.

Oak Graves

Voodoo Chicken


Thursday, Sept. 12Joe Harmon& the Harmonicas7 p.m. @ Mikko Live

Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr.,

Kinder

Karaoke w/ En-Tune7 p.m. @ Tropical Spirits

E. Napoleon St., Sulphur

Karaoke w/ DJ Rooster8 p.m. @ Jacky's Western Bar2090 Pujo Rd., Lake Charles

Shake N Bake Karaoke9 p.m. @ Sam's Cove3609 Davis Rd., Westlake

Hazy Ray10 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Friday, Sept. 13Teen Dance7 - 10 p.m. @ Jo Beck's, 504 N.Beglis Parkway, Lake Charles

DJ Big Red7 - 10 p.m. @ Jackpot Junction2708 S. Ruth St., Sulphur

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

Karaoke w/ Shakey8 p.m. @ No Name Lounge6120 Common St., Lake Charles

Bag of Donuts8 p.m. @ Yesterday’s5313 Common St., Lake Charles

Tom Bandow Live9 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles

Karaoke with David Verrett9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

MoJeaux @ Mikko Live9 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Re-sort, 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Gino Speight9 p.m. @ Delta Downs 2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Lingus with SelfawarwolfPlus Root Beer & Mermentau10 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles

Satellite Sky10 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Saturday, Sept. 14Rendex-Vous des Cajuns6 - 7:30 p.m. @ Liberty CenterPark Avenue, Eunice

DJ Big Red7 - 10 p.m. @ Jackpot Junction2708 S. Ruth St., Sulphur

Karaoke w/ En-Tune8 p.m. @ Tropical SpiritsE. Napoleon St., Sulphur

DJ Bear8 p.m. @ Bob & Pete's2345 Industrial Dr., Sulphur

Damon Troy & Final Five8 p.m. @ Yesterday’s5313 Common St. Lake Charles

The Fab FourThe Beatles Tribute Band8 p.m. @ Paragon Casino Resort711 Paragon Pl., Marksville

Karaoke w/ Russ8:30 p.m. @ Linda's Karaoke & Sports Lounge438 Lake St., Lake Charles

Jimmy Partin Live9 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles

Karaoke with David Verrett9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

MoJeaux @ Mikko Live9 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Re-sort, 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Foxy & The Highhats w/StreetSide Jazz, 10 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles


Sunday, Sept. 15Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Fraternal Order of Eagles3 - 7 p.m. @ Music Jam803 N. 28th St., Orange

"JAZZ: The Soundtrack of a

Movement"5 p.m. @ Central School Ben Mount Theatre809 Kirby St., Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ Rooster7 - 11 p.m. @ No Name Lounge6120 Common St., Lake Charles

Monday, Sept. 16Karaoke w/ Shakey8 p.m. @ Linda's Karaoke & Sports Lounge438 Lake St., Lake Charles

"Free Live Music" w/Tim Norris8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles

Tuesday, Sept. 17Songwriters' Nite7 p.m. @ Lamplighter Lounge1906 N. Martin Luther King Hwy.Lake Charles

"Two-Wheel Tuesdays"With Will Christian8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles


Wednesday, Sept. 18DJ Wilson5 - 9 p.m. @ Cuz's Lounge2116 E. Napoleon St., Sulphur

Larry's DJ & Karaoke7 - 10 p.m. @ Dar's Place203 Post Oak Rd., Sulphur

"Vinyl Night"With Daniel Castro8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ Doug8 p.m. @ Jacky's Western Bar2090 Pujo Rd., Lake Charles


Joe Ecker Live8 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles




Karaoke 2013 @ MikkoLive9 p.m. @ Coushatta CasinoResort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Kory Fontenot Acoustic"One Man Band"10 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Girls Night Out: The OtherBlues Brothers11 p.m. @ Cajun's Wharf3500 Ryan St., LakeCharles

Thursday, Sept. 19Blake Rayne Performs"The Identical" Music7 p.m. @ Coushatta CasinoResort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder


"The Book Club Meeting"Hosted by Felicite Toney-Carrol Plus Service Industry Night8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., LakeCharles

Karaoke w/ DJ Rooster8 p.m. @ Jacky's WesternBar, 2090 Pujo Rd., Lake Charles


Mark Reeves & Twisted X9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Friday, Sept. 20Blake Rayne Performs"The Identical" Music7 & 9p.m. @ CoushattaCasino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Teen Dance7 - 10 p.m. @ Jo Beck's504 N. Beglis Parkway,Lake Charles

DJ Big Red7 - 10 p.m. @ JackpotJunction2708 S. Ruth St., Sulphur

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

Karaoke w/ Shakey8 p.m. @ No Name Lounge6120 Common St., LakeCharles

Yesterday’s 12 Year Anniversary PartyFeaturing CheeWeez5313 Common St. LakeCharles

Hold Fast Fables Live9 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles

Karaoke with David Verrett9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., LakeCharles

Cheap Trick9 p.m. @ L'AubergeEvent Center777 Avenue L’Auberge,Lake Charles

The Lochness Mobsterswith Thee Andy’s Plus We Are Wombat10 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., LakeCharles

The Flamethrowers10 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles

ISIS @ Mikko Live10:30 p.m. @ CoushattaCasino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Saturday, Sept. 21The Lochness Mobsterswith Thee Andy’s Plus We Are Wombat12 a.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., LakeCharlesCotton Candy SwagCelebrity Birthday Bash5 p.m. @ Lake Charles CivicCenter, 900 Lakeshore Dr.,Lake Charles

Rendex-Vous des Cajuns6 - 7:30 p.m. @ LibertyCenter, Park Avenue, Eunice

Blake Rayne Performs"The Identical" Music7 & 9 p.m. @ CoushattaCasino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

DJ Big Red7 - 10 p.m. @ JackpotJunction, 2708 Ruth St.,Sulphur


Todd O’Neill Band8 p.m. @ Yesterday’s5313 Common St. LakeCharles


Karaoke w/ Russ8:30 p.m. @ Linda'sKaraoke & Sports Lounge438 Lake St., Lake Charles

Wayne Dylan Live9 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles

Karaoke with David Verrett9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., LakeCharles

Lochness Mobsters10 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan St., Lake Charles


ISIS @ Mikko Live10:30 p.m. @ CoushattaCasino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Sunday, Sept. 22Fraternal Order of Eagles3 - 7 p.m. @ Music Jam803 N. 28th St., Orange

Karaoke w/ Rooster7 - 11 p.m. @ No NameLounge, 6120 Common St.,Lake Charles

Monday, Sept. 23Karaoke w/ Shakey8 p.m. @ Linda's Karaoke& Sports Lounge438 Lake St., Lake Charles

The Kid CarsonsPlus Banditos10 p.m. @ Dharma, 329Broad St., Lake Charles

Tuesday, Sept. 24Songwriters' Nite7 p.m. @ LamplighterLounge, 1906 N. MartinLuther King Hwy, LakeCharles

"Free Live Music"With Mickey Huber SmithPlus "Two-Wheel Tues-days", 8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ Russ8:30 p.m. @ Linda'sKaraoke & Sports Lounge438 Lake St., Lake Charles

Wednesday, Sept. 25DJ Wilson5 - 9 p.m. @ Cuz's Lounge

2116 E. Napoleon St.Sulphur

Larry's DJ & Karaoke7 - 10 p.m. @ Dar's Place203 Post Oak Rd., Sulphur

"Vinyl Night"With Kat Griffith8 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St., LakeCharles

Brian Moore Live8 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 E. Prien Lake Rd.Suite 5, Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ Doug8 p.m. @ Jacky's WesternBar, 2090 Pujo Rd.Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ Russ8:30 p.m. @ Linda'sKaraoke & Sports Lounge438 Lake St.Lake Charles



Wednesday night is aghost town. WeekendWarriors and ModernFamilies, cozy on theircouches, settle in to seewhat’s happening withtheir Idols. But fortu-nately, the “analog revolu-tion” will not be televised.A creative community ofmusic freaks, art fiends,and culture junkies gatherat a place called Dharma.The night is alive at 329Broad Street in downtownLake Charles, when theneedle hits the groove.

It’s Vinyl Night, thedrafts are half-priced, andLong Play lovers all overthe city have scoured theircollections to contribute totonight’s playlist. A TribeCalled Quest plays overthe speakers, while a bigguy with glasses and longblack hair passes around abright red, heart-shapedMayer Hawthorne record,clearly proud of this gempulled from the large cratehe carried in a few min-utes ago.

Sitting at the bar is acouple who smile at eachother as Mick Jagger singsof a girl with “Far AwayEyes,” and two formerstrangers sharing a pinttalk of the backstory be-hind Hendrix’s “Band ofGypsys.” Johnny Pay-check’s “Ragged OldTruck” kicks in, and agiddy gearhead walksthrough the door, showingoff his autographed BlackFlag album. Meanwhile,two young bar owners lis-ten carefully to what theirclientele wants to hear andmake plans for the nextband showcase.

Weekends at Dharmabelong to live music,whether it’s jazz, funk,rock, Zydeco, hip hop, or

whatever, as long as it’soriginal. Co-ownersAlyssa DiNatale andDerek Sarvaunt designedthe venue to be clean andminimalist so the audi-ence’s focus is mainly onthe music.

They speak of thevenue as a “cultural hub,” asupport system for re-gional musicians that of-fers a stage forperformances, as well as anetworking center formeeting other like-mindedmusicians to develop newprojects, trade shows, andbuy and sell equipment.Open Mic Night on Thurs-days gives amateur per-formers the opportunity tostep up and hone their tal-ents with feedback from alive audience.

Two-Wheel Tuesdays,another well-establishedtheme night at Dharma,encourages downtown cy-clists to stop in for drinkspecials as a safer alterna-tive than driving to thebar, and a brand new bikerack offers a place to parkand lock up. “These arejust little things we’redoing to make this place ahome, a family, whereeverybody feels comfort-able,” DiNatale said. “Peo-

ple that come in here,they’re loyal. They believein what we’re doing.”

Before openingDharma, DiNatale, whohad recently moved backto Lake Charles, hostedlegendary parties at herhouse under the name“Occupy Common Street.”Bands played for free andfriends donated money tohelp herwithhousepayments,all for thejoy ofsharingtheirmusic andenjoyingeachother’scompany.“It washere that Ifinally feltthat community spirit inLake Charles,” she said. Itinspired her to do more.At one of these parties, shemet her future businesspartner, where theybonded over whiskey,good conversation, and amutual passion for open-ing a real venue.

Sarvaunt was initiallyinspired during a show inthe mid-aughts at ShakeyGround, a coffeehouse/all-ages venue formerly sitednear McNeese. “The roomwas totally packed andthere was no alcohol beingsold at all,” he said. “It wasjust kids enjoying musicand that’s why they were

there.” Dharma’s prime loca-

tion downtown on BroadStreet became availablewhen the owners of TheHappy Hippie contactedDiNatale with the news oftheir closing and offeredthe space to her firsthand.She and Sarvaunt mobi-lized immediately to seetheir dream realized, sell-

ing “everything [they]owned” and leasing outtheir house, then usingthat money for a deposit.To get Dharma openquickly, a gang of 40friends showed up whenthey got the keys, and thebar was open in less thantwo weeks.

The partners, alongwith Dharma’s small staffare downtown folks whoare passionate about LakeArea development and ex-cited to play their part.“There’s no competitiondowntown. We’re all onthe same team down here,”Sarvaunt said. “Right now,if we get people here, it’s

good for everybody.” During our conversa-

tion, the young businessowners constantly creditedother local entrepreneursand performers all over thecity for their unique ideasand hard work: Botsky’s,Stellar Beans, Center Stage,Cigar Club, and Luna, toname a few. “Jen Kober’sdone a lot of amazing

things with theHomegrownComedy Show atL’Auberge andshowcases withup-and-comingcomics like SamOwens,” DiNatalesaid. “We’ve gotcomedy now atDharma!”

Sarvaunt urgestalented and cre-ative people inLake Charles tostick around.

“You can live any place inthe entire world, but youonly have one hometown,”he said, and referenced aslogan used by the rapidlygrowing arts communityof Beaumont: “Don’t Relo-cate, Recreate.”

DiNatale offers someadvice to Lake Area doom-sayers: “Get out there. Getout from behind yourcomputer, away from theTV. Be social and be ac-tive. It’ll change your mind[about Lake Charles], be-cause we’re having a wholelot of fun over here.”

The great news is thatDharma offers a fine placeto start your new journey.

Photos: Daniel Castro PhotographyBy Jody Taylor


AppetizerBakeBrunchChefCook

CuisineCulinary Arts DeliciousDinner PartyGastronomy

MenuRecipeRoastSauteSimmer

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

the player with the most boxes wins.

What’sCookin’?


The Artists Civic The-atre and Studio (ACTS) isproud to announce mem-berships for the 48th seasonare now on sale. This sea-son, ACTS will include themusicals Irving Berlin’sWhite Christmas and Hair-spray as well as the perioddrama The Secret Gardenand the rowdy British com-edy Noises Off.

In October, The SecretGarden will take the stage at1 Reid Street Theatre. Theliterary classic you’ve lovedfor years comes to life in thisEdwardian era drama andthe story is as familiar asyou remember: a wonderfultale of transformation and adelightful adaptation of thisclassic story.

Next up for ACTS willbe the holiday musical, Irv-ing Berlin’s White Christ-mas. Based on the belovedfilm, this heartwarmingmusical adaptation features17 Irving Berlin songs in-cluding the perennial fa-vorite, “White Christmas.”It’s a favorite that will be ashining star in your holidayplans.

The New Year will bringthe British comedy NoisesOff. This raucous play tells

the story of a hapless actingtroupe who is touring witha production of a farcecalled “Nothing On.” Thisirreverent comedy gives theaudience a glimpse of back-stage life with the troupe asthe actors become road-weary and tempers wearthin. Big laughs abound inthis wild, unpredictablecomedy.

The 1950s are over andchange is in the air. It’s 1962Baltimore and Tracy Turn-blad has only one desire, todance on the Corny Collinsshow! Hairspray is ACTS’final show of the season, afamily-friendly musical andwinner of eight TonyAwards including Best Mu-sical. Tracy and her friendsare on a mission to integratea TV network and along theway, she has to win the af-fection of heartthrob LinkLarkin and dethrone thereigning teen queen andkeep her all important hair-do intact! Hairspray is atoe-tapping musical filledwith laughter and romancegalore!

You won’t risk missing asingle show by purchasing aseason membership, now onsale at www.actstheatre.com

Artists Civic Theatre2013-14 Season

Memberships On Sale

or by calling (337) 433-2287. Request a brochurewith all the details! Thereare several options formembership available, per-fect for seniors, families andeven businesses! Tickets toindividual events will beavailable during the seasonseveral weeks prior to open-ing night of each produc-

tion.Founded in 1965 by a

group of people dedicatedto theatre, over the last 45years “ACTS” has grown into a thriving company oftalented people who volun-teer their time and energyto enrich the community’sarts scene. Although ACTS’main interests lie in

scripted musical produc-tions, dramatic as well ascomedic plays and musicalrevues are also brought be-fore the footlights of theACTS main stage locationat 1 Reid Street. ACTS alsorecognizes their star per-formers and backstageworkers with an annual“ACTA” awards show.

The McNeese LeisureLearning Program willoffer several non-creditcourses in September,which are designed forself-improvement and en-joyment.

COMPUTER•Beginning Computer: Learning the Basics, 6-8 p.m., Sept. 19, 24, 26

•Quickbooks I: Setting Up Company, Sales & Receipts, Purchases & Payments, 5-8 p.m., Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 7

•Beginning Adobe Photoshop: Focus on Selection Tools, 8 a.m.- noon, Sept. 28

ARTS & CRAFTS•Get Started Sewing–Learn the Basics, 6-7:30 p.m., Sept. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17

COOKING•Chef Richard Lipton:

Roll Your Own Sushi, 6-8 p.m., Sept. 24

•Chef Jeanette Richardson: Breakfast Pastries & Brunch, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Sept. 28

DANCE•Traditional Cajun Dance, 6:30-7:45 p.m., Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7

•Adult Ballet/Exercise with Sarah Q. Jones, 6-7:30 p.m., Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24

PHOTOGRAPHY•Digital Cameras: Understanding the Fundamentals, 6-9 p.m., Sept. 25

SPORTS & RECREATION•Concealed Handgun, 5:30-9:30 p.m., Sept. 17, 19

•Beginning Guitar,7:30-8:30 p.m., Sept. 24,Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

•Golf Basics, 6-7 p.m.,Sept. 24, 26, Oct. 1, 3, 8

EDUCATION•ACT Math Review, 9:30 a.m.-noon, Sept. 14, 21, 28

•ACT Science Review, 1-3:45 p.m., Sept. 14, 21, 28

SAGE SERIES•“The Strange History of the American

Quadroon,” Dr. EmilyClark, 3:30-4:30 p.m.,Sept. 16 •“The U.S.’s First African-American Governor: P.B.S. Pinchback,” Dr. Michael Smith, 3:30- 4:30 p.m., Sept. 30

For more informationor to register for classes,contact McNeese LeisureLearning at (337) 475-5616 or visit the websiteatwww.mcneese.edu/leisure

September McNeese Leisure Learning Programs


debut of Robert Duvall,Gregory Peck’s nine-minute speech in courtthat was done perfectly inone take, and the penniesin the cigar box that areall from 1962 eventhough the film is set in1932. Music score fanswill be delighted to notethe pianist on this one,John Williams, wouldlater go on to composedozens of award-winningfilm scores of his own, in-cluding Jaws, Star Warsand Harry Potter (Edi-tor’s note: and conductthe Boston Pops!).

On the complete op-posite end of the scale thecontroversial and mind-bending Fight Club is alsogracing the Cine Classicslater this month. BradPitt, Edward Norton andHelena Bonham Carterduke it out for the mostintense performances inthis modern 1999 classic.If you really want to im-press folks with a bit ofobscure trivia that eventhe film’s fans might notknow, the font used forthe film’s titles and logo isnamed “Fight This.”Meanwhile, the film’smost famous line, “Thefirst rule of Fight Club isyou do not talk aboutFight Club,” was rankednumber 27 of “The 100Greatest Movie Lines” byPremiere magazine. Andperhaps the weirdest bitof trivia I found while re-searching this film wasthat the breath in the cavescene is Leonardo Di-Caprio’s. Supposedly, hisbreath from the film Ti-tanic was composited intothe shot. Odd, but thenthe film itself is an oddityso I shouldn’t be sur-prised. Web urban leg-end? Watch the film andyou decide!

Until next time, I’mgonna go watch some in-dependent films! And yes,please pass the popcorn.

Want a teaser trailer ofwhat independent filmsare coming to LakeCharles not only in 2013but also 2014? What’s ateaser trailer, you ask?Aren’t they ALL teasers?What a wonderful ques-tion, my dear reader. Ateaser trailer tells you al-most nothing about theplot, but if done well,leaves you salivating tosee more. Oh, and they’reusually out in theaters agood six months beforethe movie airs. While Ican’t promise any stimula-tion to your salivaryglands, I can give you asuper early sneak peek aswhat’s coming to the LakeArea soon.

As part of the McNeeseBanners Series, several in-dependent films will bestopping through townfor one-day showings.The series is part of theSouthern Circuit Tour ofIndependent Filmmakersand the entire tour con-sists of 135 films. TheLake Area is lucky to beshowing a few of them,including Pride and Joyby Joe York, September14; Bending Sticks: TheSculpture of PatrickDougherty by Kenny Dal-sheimer and Penelope

Maunsell, Oct. 12; Har-vest by John Beck, No-vember 16; Bidder 70 byBeth Gage and GeorgeGage, February 22; Per-fect Strangers by film-maker Jan Krawitz, March22 and The Retrieval byfilmmaker Chris Eska onApril 12. Are you salivat-ing yet?

Southern Circuit film-makers participate inquestion and answer ses-sions after the screenings,so if you’ve always wantedto know more about thefilmmaking process, it’s agreat way to get your ques-tions answered straightfrom the source! For moreinformation on these spe-cial showings locally, visitwww.banners.org. To readthe Southern Circuit blogand learn more about thefilmmakers, visitwww.southarts.org

While not an inde-pendent movie by anystretch, the AmericanFilm Institute’s secondmost inspiring movie ofall time, To Kill a Mock-ingbird starring GregoryPeck is coming to LakeCharles. You can see itthrough the Cine Classicsseries at Cinemark. Somefun little things to watchout for include the film

Local Sneak Peeksfrom Now ‘Til 2014


GALLAGHER AT THE ISLEThe comedian Gallagher brought his Last Smash tour

to the Isle of Capri Casino as America’s favorite touring comedian bid farewell to his fans after 35 years. Afterhis performance, local band Cold Sweat got the crowd moving on the dance floor, while football fanatic fans passed a great time kicking back in front of the big

screen for some action. Non-stop fun at the Isle!

McNEESE COWBOYSHOME SEASON OPENER

It was the first home game under the bright lights ofCowboy Stadium—and it was a winner! Ring those

cowbells! The Cowboys conquered the Lions beforean enormous crowd of Blue and Gold fans. What away to kick off the season with back-to-back wins!

The cheerleaders, kickers and tailgaters revved up theecstatic crowd. Keep on keeping on, Cowboys-- that

championship is around the corner!

Nick Guillory, Jake Dugas and Caleb BradleyBailey Anderson, Hanna Lamendola,

Grace Morgan and Paige Guillory

Sid and Linda with Juliaand Isabella Bradley Amos Johnson, Chrystal Doucet and Stacy Petty

Juan Llanos with Gracie and Juan Olalde

Paul Alvardo with Amy and Jan Roberts

Chelsie, Timand Madelyn Robles Garrett Trahan and Morgan Clark

Jack and Holly Gabriel

Mario and Chasity Campos Junita and Christian Copeland Angie and Michael Guidry

the louisiana jam, vol. 1, no. 7 - 09/12/13

Documents

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legal responsibility

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