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COMPLIMENTARY
DECEMBER 2015, VOL. 13 ISSUE 11
Publisher / Editor
Mike Strong
Sales Manager
Dottie Godberry
Staff Photographer
Jimmy Dunkley
Contributing Writers
Bill Delaune
Linda Melancon
Calvin Bessonett
Bully
Goosie Guice
Orhan McMillan
Kellie Seymour
Tanya Stilley
Roland Doucet
Jimmy Dunkley
For Advertising
Information Please call:
225-622-1324
E-Mail Comments
www.ascensionmagazine.net
Note: Features in this
publication labeled
“advertorial”
are paid for editorials.
All Rights Reserved.
Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the
publisher, editor or staff of
Ascension Magazine
18386 Little Prairie Rd.Prairieville, LA 70769
CENTER STAGE.........................4
JFA CHRISTMAS PARTY .........10
SWEET EYES W/ TANYA.... ....12
LAYNE’S...................................................24
JAMMIN’ WITH GOOSIE........ 29
BILL DELAUNE........................ 30
THOUGHTS FROM BULLY.....34
CHRISTMAS PARADE...............36
Table of Contents
FOR MORE INFORMATION
225.622.3262www.riverparishfoods.com
Center Stage PerformingArts Academy descendedupon the Gonzales CivicCenter on December 1,2015 for the annualChristmas Tree Lightingevent. While hundreds ofeager kids waited in line forSanta, the academy’sJunior and Senior MusicalTheatre Elite groups performed their brand new
Christmas show – “TheMost Popular ChristmasDoll Contest.” The originalshow, written by CenterStage’s owner, LarrySchexnaydre, featured acolorful cast of dolls –Belle, Jesse, Barbie,Cinderella, Snow White,Tiana, Elsa and Anna -competing for the title of“Most Popular” while being
“The Most Popular ChristmasDoll Contest” Performed by
Center Stage at the ChristmasTree Lighting Ceremony
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judged by past winners,Pocahontas, American GirlDoll and Raggedy Ann and theNorth Pole’s own Mrs. Claus,Buddy the Elf and Rosie the Elf.
Each character had to explainto the judges why they shouldwin the ultimate award andsing a song that best exemplified their Christmas
Spirit. The Junior MusicalTheatre Elite Group, who filledthe stage as “Santa’s helpers”,accompanied each numberwith a spirited chorus andenergy. With LindaSchexnaydre’s lively choreography and the magnificent voices of theentire cast, the show was ahilarious musical romp thathighlighted the many aspects
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of the Christmas season and got thecrowd in a holiday spirit. After the show,the characters mingled with the youngchildren in the audience, posed for pictures and even signed autographs for their eager fans – a truly festive atmosphere.
Cast: Senior Musical Theatre Elite Group
Buddy – Chris BourgeoisMrs. Claus – Hannah ChiquelinBarbie – Gracie OwensElsa – Macy MarionneauxAnna – Shelly KleinpeterJesse – Molly Beth BlanchardTiana – Daria ColemanCinderella – Kendall Claire LamontSnow White – Sarah Talbot
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Belle – Nicole CrochetRaggedy Ann – Grace
ScogginsAmerican Girl – Julia LeBlancRosie, the elf – Kerrington
RappPocahontas – Ashlyn LeonardElves – Kate Duhe
Olivia WaguespackAnna Smith
Junior Musical Theatre Elite Group
Avery AucoinAnna CoffeeMallory Commander
Caitlin DulaneyHannah GautreauHannah GodchauxSkylar HaagJaynee-Lynne KinchenMatthew LassLaney LeBoeufAlanna LintonMadison MichelliSydney MistrettaEmily PocheKatelyn RoperCade SholarAbby TalbotMary Grace Talbot
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Jambalaya Festival Associationhosted their annual ChristmasParty at the St. Amant RecreationalCenter. The celebration saw it’slargest attendance in years.
many volunteers and AssociationMembers to kick off the holidayseason.
Many partygoers mingled and
served plates of fried fish andshrimp, potato salad, gumbo,brisket and much more.
Congratulations to the 2015recipients of our Nora Lee Riccaaward, first ever husband and wiferecipients - Todd and VanessaBlair! We are so thankful for yourservice to the JFA.
Jambalaya Festival Association hosted their Annual Christmas Party
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Happy Holidays
Nora Lee Ricca AwardRecipients since it’s first year:
• 1981Pie Lanoux• 1982Dalton Marchand• 1983Mary Ann Keller• 1984Elsie Walker• 1985Mac Daigle• 1986Cobby Walker• 1987Darlene Reulet• 1988Ernest “Beaver” Cubbage• 1989Frank Frederic• 1990Anita Young• 1991Pat Austin• 1992Carol Frederic• 1993Ed “Mike” Daigle• 1994Eladee Chauvin• 1995Robert A. Pitre, Jr.• 1996Pearl Reed
• 1997Wally Taillon• 1998Estelle Carpenter• 1999Ruby Corrent• 2000Frank Corrent• 2001Solly Boudreaux• 2002Lucia Smithey• 2003Freddie Hurst• 2004Mike Daigle• 2005Carlos Braud• 2006Gilbert Taillon• 2007Carbett Bercegeay• 2008Valmon & Rita Bercegeay• 2009Tammy Guillory• 2010Robert Jackson• 2011Mike Gonzales, Sr.• 2012Mike Berthelot• 2013Shane Martinez• 2014Brenda Taillon• Todd and Vanessa Blair
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Dear AscensionParish,Merry Christmas to you! I amso very proud to call you home.We’ve been together for aboutsix years now, and each year Iget to know you more andmore. I’ve seen so many spiritfilled gatherings over the years,and this month is no exception.It warms my heart to see thelove and generosity of the people that live in this parish.
First there was the GonzalesChristmas Tree Lighting andChristmas with Santa event puton by the City of Gonzales.The Gonzales Civic Center wasadorned with candy canes,
Christmas trees and elves werespreading Christmas cheer.What a fun event open toeveryone in the community.Santa came to visit and took apicture with all the little ones inthe community. The locallyknown dance company CenterStage performed a whimsicalmuscial! It was Ascension’s version of a ChristmasBroadway.
Secondly, the Ascension ParishSheriffs Office hosted the annual Christmas Crusade.The Sheriff ’s office acceptsChristmas gift donations for the needy children in our community that otherwise maynot have anything under theChristmas tree. They host anight where the local community can meet at Wal Mart and purchase gifts todonate as well. The APSOgives so much more to
Ascension Parishthan their serviceand protection;they give theirtime and energyto care for thoseless fortunate.
Then, the Feedthe Needy eventhosted by, yes,Ascension’s wellknown and loved,Thomsas “Bama”Aldridge. Everyyear beforeChristmas themale“Ascensionites”gather at theGonzales CountryClub to have afew cool ones, butmore importantlycook jambalaya to help thoseless fortunate in the communi-ty! This event started back in2006 with one pot of jambalayathat raised around $800. Thisyear Feed the Needy raised over$24,000 for local families in
need. Geaux Bama!
Finally, there was the GeismarSenior Citizens Luncheon atthe Geismar CommunityCenter. This annual event isfull of food and fellowship,even a friendly sing off competition! This is event issupported by local businessesand community members thatprovide lunch, fruit baskets andgiveaways for Geismar’s seniorcommunity. What a blessing togive back to those who havegiven so much.
These events were only a few ofmany events supported by you,Ascension Parish. Because ofthis and so much more, Iapplaud you. Your love andkindness reach to the hearts ofthose in this parish and for thatI am forever grateful.
Love and Blessings for 2016Ascension Parish,
XOXO - Sweet Eyes
FEED THE NEEDY
GONZALES CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHRISTMAS CRUSADE
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Laser Tattoo Removal Q & AHow does laser tattoo removal work?
Medical lasers use anintense beam of light toremove the tattoo ink whileminimizing damage to thesurrounding healthy skin.The light energy is delivered in very shortpulses of light that areabsorbed by the ink particles of the tattoo. This energy breaks the ink particles into tiny fragments which are thenabsorbed through thebody’s natural cleansingsystem.
Can laser tattooremoval treat all colors?
Certain colors respondquicker to laser tattooremoval. For example,black, red, dark orange,and dark blue are the easiest and fastest toremove. Green, purple,brown, light orange andlight blue may requiremore visits. The depth ofthe tattoo will also determine how many treatments are needed, aswell as the type of ink used.Lastly, your skin tone willplay a part in how fast yourtattoo responds to laser.Lighter skin tones typicallyhave a higher success rate.
Will the tattoo completely disappear?
In many cases, yes. Greater than 90% fading ofthe tattoo may be
accomplished. However, itis very important to knowthat over 100 tattoo inksare in use worldwide today,none of which are regulat-ed by the FDA. Not knowing which tattoo ink,how deep, or how muchwas used makes it impossible to predict thedegree of removal on anygiven tattoo.
How many treatments are needed for tattooremoval and howoften can treatmentsbe done?
The number of treatmentsrequired for maximumimprovement dependsupon the size, location,depth, and color of the tattoo. On the average,professional tattoos require6-10 treatments while amateur tattoos require 2-4treatments. Treatments aredone 6-8 weeks apart.
Is laser tattooremoval painful?
Injectable numbing med-ication can be used beforethe procedure to minimizediscomfort. Most patientsare completely numb during the treatment andfeel no discomfort. Afterthe numbing medicationwears off patients may havemild irritation or itchingfor 1-3 days.
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The fundraider designed to raise money to help needy families during theholiday season went off without a hitch. This event has not only helpedfamilies it has brought a community together and set and example for ouryouth. This year Stevie Dugas returned to help stir the pots and serve thefood. There is no better feeling than to seea young person learn and experi-ence life long values.
In December 2006, Uncle Perry and Aunt Susan Aldridge casually mentioned to BAMA that there were three needy families in the Gonzales
FEED THE NEEDY 2015
Stevie Dugas
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area who were in danger of going without thenecessities for Christmas.
That was all it took for the idea of “Feedthe Needy” to be born in the big heart of theCEO, Thomas “BAMA” Aldridge.
It was a humble beginning that year asBAMA asked Sheriff Wiley if he would sponsor a pot of food to use as a fund raiser inorder to try to help these families. The Sheriffobliged and BAMA and his Souse Chef,“Bones” Sheets cooked a hen and andouillesauce piquante which was sold for the regularSaturday lunch at Gonzales Country Club.The process raised $800.00 and in turn, thosethree families had an unexpectedly greatChristmas.
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Since the beginning the event has grownlarger with finacial support and voluteers.Last year the event raised in excess of$30,000. This year is no different with dollars still coming in the total exceeds$25,000.
The volunteer crew was the largest, hardest working, and most efficient I haveever seen. The response by the people ofAscension Parish in terms of its donations aswell as the jambalaya dinner purchases wasincredible. The most heart warming fact inall this process is that there was not onecent of expenses and all of the money raisedwill be dispersed to needy families righthere in our communities. There are noadministrative cost retained.
Once again, the residents of this area haveshown why it is such a blessing to live inAscension Parish.
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Allison HudsonReceives PrestigiousXavier UniversityAlumni AwardAscension Parish Sheriff’s Office
Public Information Officer, Allison B.Hudson, was recently selected as oneof Xavier University of Louisiana’s Top40 under 40 Young Alumni Awardsfor her accomplishments in theAscension Parish community.Xavier University’s Top 40 under 40Awards recognize outstanding professionals under the age of 40 fortheir contributions to their organizations and to the community.As a young, professional woman dominating the historically proverbial“boy’s club” known as journalism,Hudson has made her mark in theprofessional world both in journalismand law enforcement. Hudson currently serves as the
Public Information Officer under theleadership of Sheriff Jeff Wiley inAscension Parish where she servesas the liaison between the sheriff’s officeand the local, state, and nationalmedia. Her professional life is exceedingly
busy and seemingly unstoppable; shestill finds time to serve her communi-ty. She volunteers in the communityat large as well as in the communityin which she is a professional.Hudson served as president of theDonaldsonville Area Chamber ofCommerce from 2011-2013 and thefirst person to ever be re-electedpresident for two consecutive terms.
She was re-elected for a third termto serve as President in 2015. Shealso served as Vice-President of theChamber for two terms and was aboard of director of the chamberfrom 2008-2015.She currently serves on the Arc of
East Ascension CommunityOpportunities (COEA) board of direc-tors where she holds the position asvice-president.
In 2011, she was elected presi-dent of the Donaldsonville RotaryClub, where she served for one term.Prior to her current position, Hudsonwas the editor-in-chief of theDonaldsonville Chief Newspaper inDonaldsonville, Louisiana. She wasthe first African-American woman toserve as editor-in-chief since theexistence of the newspaper in 1871. During her tenure at the newspaper,she was chosen as “The top 25 under35” for Editor and PublisherMagazine in 2011 at the age of 25,being the youngest on the list, fortaking the Donaldsonville Chief tonumerous heights. Under her leader-ship, the paper garnered over 100awards from the Louisiana PressAssociation. Hudson was a nominee for the
Woman of Excellence Award from theLouisiana Legislative Women’sCaucus for 2011. Not only hasAllison been an active and viable forcein print journalism, but she has diver-sified her professional portfolio andhas blazed a trail in public relationsas well.She has volunteered as a coach for
the Donaldsonville High School VarsityCheerleaders, as a teacher and coor-dinator for the DonaldsonvilleAMIKids School and board member,volunteer for Rape Victims forAscension Parish, Life Planning withPersons with Disabilities committee,
Juneteenth Festival Co-Coordinator,Donaldsonville Louisiana ReadyCommunity Committee, and as aSpanish and Salsa instructor for thecity of Donaldsonville Bright FuturesProgram. She understands theimportance of service coupled witheducation as a means of changingand creating new and future leaders.In 2012, she was selected to partici-pate in COEA’s Dancing for a CauseFundraiser. Allison rose over$10,000 for persons with disabili-ties. In 2013, Allison spearheaded a“Toy and Coat Drive” in Donaldsonvillewhich brought in over $10,000 andwith the help of volunteers, were ableto purchase over 300 coats and toysfor children and adults. Continuing inher fundraising efforts, Hudson hasmanaged to help raise over $7,000for the Mary Bird Perkins BreastCancer Foundation to help assistthose who our battling breast cancer.She is a 2003 graduate of Edna KarrMagnet School in New Orleans,Louisiana and a 2008 graduate ofXavier University with a Bachelor ofArts in Mass Communication with aconcentration in print journalism anda minor in speech/communicationstudies.Allison attributes her success and
passion for education from her momBrenda Neely, her dad Al Hudson, herstep father Dr. George Neely, her godfather Fred Tombar, and her cousinNadia Clark for always encouragingher to be the greatest in school andfor instilling the importance of keep-
ing God first. She also credits herbest friend and colleague, MichaelSanders, who has also served as abig supporter of my dreams and viceversa.“I am forever grateful for my expe-
rience while at Xavier and those whoI have met along the way,” Hudsonsaid. “Xavier is a small, close-knit family,
but it’s also a powerhouse of reallygreat professionals. Dr. Larry Strout,Dr. Dave Park, Arnold Crump, andMelinda Shelton are just a few pro-fessors who are partly responsiblefor my success because they servedand continue to serve as role modelsin my profession,” she added. Lastly, Hudson attributes much of hersuccess while serving as editor of theDonaldsonville Chief.
“The experiences I learned and thenetworking opportunities I was afford-ed as a young professional straightout of college were amazing; I willforever be thankful to the communityof Donaldsonville because it openedso many doors for me,” she added. “Iam also thankful to work for such agreat and notable leader, SheriffWiley, because I truly admire him forhis leadership skills and his knowl-edge.”
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Developing YourStrategy:Implementation
Last month, we introduced ourarticle series on developing yourbusiness strategy. We outlined anoverall strategy development planfor your business. From your elevator pitch to your executivesummary, you should have a goodindication of what you what to accomplish.
In the second installment of“Developing Your Strategy,” wewill focus on the concept onstrategy implementation.
Simply stated, strategy implementation can be defined asthe process of putting plans and strategies into action to ultimately attain strategic goalsand objectives. By now, you havedeveloped a strategic plan. Theseplans often sit and are not putinto use. Implementation turnsstrategies into reality. Without it,strategy is nothing.
Here are some statistics:• 95% of a typical workforcedoesn’t understand their organization’s strategy.• 60% of organizations don’t correlate strategy to budgeting.• 86% of business owners andmanagers spend less than onehour per month discussing strategy.
Bottom line, strategic implementation is crucial to acompany’s accomplishments. It isan administrative task and on-going process. In order to seeyour strategic plan through,
implementation will involveassigning tasks to individuals anddeveloping timelines.
Delegation
Any successful implementationwill have a clear leader, whetherit is the owner of a business orthe CEO of a company. Strategyimplementation is simply impossible without a strong organizational structure. This person will communicate thevision and goals necessary forsuccess. All organization personnel should be fully engaged in the plan.
The leader will delegate tasks androles to individual employees.
Performance measurement toolsprovide motivation and allowprogress discussion to occur.Implementation should alsoinclude a strategic map. This mapidentifies the main factors thatwill guide performance.
Typical Issues
Two major mistakes in strategicimplementation are a lack ofcommunication and a plan thatcontains too many goals. Plansare often overwhelming and haveideas that are not concrete.Therefore, the progress of implementation is hard to track.
Instead of tracking developmentannually, do so bi-weekly or evenmonthly. This will preventemployees from neglecting yourgoals and getting caught up inday-to-day tasks.
You should also make youremployees accountable for imple-menting their parts of the strate-gic plan. If not enforced, your planwill never be fully or correctlyexecuted.
What You Need
Ask yourself, what is it that youneed to accomplish your plan?Most often, there are severalthings that need to be in place.You have to have the right set ofemployees on board to help you.
Resources are vital. You will alsoneed sufficient funds to supportyour implementation. In additionto enough money, you have toconsider the time it will takeyour team to achieve your goals.
Communication must be openand collaborative. The managermust schedule meetings toaddress plan updates andprogress. Technologies shouldalso be set-up to track the implementation.
Step-By-Step
1. Assign Personnela. Who Will Be Responsible for What Portion of the Plan
2. Decide the Budget andFinances
3. Create a Definitive Timeline
4. Establish a Tracking System
5. Schedule Meetings for Progressand Updates
6. Make Changes WhenNecessary
We hope these ideas will guideyou to implement your businessstrategies. Stay tuned for nextmonth’s strategy series finale article.
19
Developing Your Strategy: Overall Formulaby Orhan Mc MillandezinsINTERACTIVE
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How Sweet It Is
By Calvin Bessonet, DDS,FAGD
With an increasing number ofpeople trying to avoid sugaryfoods and drinks in order tomaintain good oral health, natural sugar substitutes havebecome more widely available.One such natural sweetener, xylitol, is added to foods anddrinks, as well as toothpastesand mouthrinses. While it haspositive benefits, there are someside effects associated with thissweetener. Read on for moreinformation about xylitol.
What is xylitol?Xylitol is a naturally occurringalcohol found in most plantmaterial that is often extractedfrom birchwood. As a sugarsubstitute in foods like candyand gum, as well as toothpastesand mouth rinses, xylitol aids incavity prevention.
How does it work?When you eat or drink sugaryfoods, the sugar interacts withbacteria in your mouth. Thebacteria “feed” off the sugarand multiply..... Once the
bacteria grow, they make acidsthat can eat away the enamel onyour teeth. The acid then causes tooth decay, and cavitiesbegin to form. However, xylitoldoes not break down like sugar,and it can help neutralize theacid level in your mouth, whichmay prevent tooth decay fromoccurring. Xylitol also preventsbacteria from sticking to yourteeth. It is added to somechewing gums, candies, andother oral health products liketoothpastes and mouthrinses toprevent tooth decay. Adults andchildren who use products containing xylitol can significantly reduce cavity formation.
How much xylitolshould I have?Some brands of chewing gumcontain very small amounts ofxylitol are mostly ineffective inpreventing tooth decay. Be sureto look for products that contain 100 percent xylitol andtry for at least four or fiveexposures with your teethspread throughout the day.Using xylitol five times everyday provides the most effectiveoral health benefits.
Are there any side effects?If consumed at the recom-mended levels, xyletol is safe forchildren and adults. Xylitol issafe in the amounts found infoods, gum, and oral healthproducts. Some of the initialphysical side effects of consuming products with xylitol include diarrhea andintestinal gas, which usually will subside over time.
Are there side effects for pets?The U.S. Foodand DrugAdministrationreports thatxylitol-even insmall amountsfound in candies andother products-is extremelytoxic in bothdogs and ferrets. Thephysical effectsof xylitol onpets include asudden drop inblood sugar,seizures, liver
failure. and even death. You can see your pet vomit, become depressed, and losecoordination. These signs mayappear immediately after con-suming xylitol or may occur upto a few days after. If youringest a product that containsxylitol, it is important to seekveterinary help immediately.
When used correctly, xylitol is a great addition to your oralhealth regimen. If you are interested in learning moreabout xylitol, talk with yourdentist about which productsare most effective and how they should be used.
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With Many Thanks to the Dutchtown and GeismarCommunity for allowing us to be Your CommunityPhysical Therapy Provider for over 8 years.
AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE DUTCHTOWN COMMUNITY REMAINS THE SAME...
36501 Mission Street, Suite A Prairieville, Louisiana 70769225.744-3631 • Fax 225.744.3647
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Your Community Physical Therapy Provider
• Provide a combination of quality, convenience and experience for physical therapy services.
• Trusted provider for physical therapy services by physicians and patients for over eight years.
• Dedicated staff that patients can rely on to be there, every visit, every step of the way.
• Accepting most insurances for patients.• Giving back to the community through academic and sports
sponsorships for area schools.• Continuing to provide the community with the highest level of care
in a state of the art facility.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO GROW WITHTHE DUTCHTOWN COMMUNITY IN THE COMING YEAR IN A NEW FACILITY ON HIGHWAY 73.
WE WISH THE DUTCHTOWN AND GEISMER COMMUNITIES A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
ALL NEW FACILITY ON HWY 73 OPENING IN JANUARY 2016!
Thank You Dutchtown
Before YouShop Till YouDropBefore You Shop Till You DropWith the holidays upon us, manypeople are making their lists andchecking them twice for the bestdeals of the season. Technology isexponentially changing the waythat consumers do theirChristmas shopping, and Black Friday has quickly lost itsholiday-deal dominance to CyberMonday due to the online convenience of sleeping in andskipping the traffic. This yearalone, shoppers spent more than$5.1 billion online during theThanksgiving holiday, while in-store sales were down morethan $1 billion from 2014,
according to numbers from theShopperTrak research firm.
It’s no surprise to us, then, to seean increase in online sales forother consumer products as well– including estate planning serv-ices. Companies likeLegalZoom.com andRocketLawyer.com offer everything from wills to divorcepapers in a convenient andrelatively inexpensive manner.
But just because online optionsare available and generally cheaper than a local lawyer’s fees, does that mean you shoulduse them?
Online estate planning documents come with a high element of risk for users in allstates. Because online legal formsare commonly of the “one sizefits all” variety, users may overlook the legal nuances ofeach individual’s unique situation. While a client believesthey’ve made all the necessaryarrangements for their family’sfuture, a crisis may then arise andtheir documents be found incomplete, inaccurate, or evencompletely useless in their hour of need.
In addition to the risks all usersface, Louisiana residents faceadditional risks with online legalservices. Louisiana is a state
notorious for its unique estateplanning and administrationrequirements. For example,Louisiana has forced heirship anda usufruct form of ownershipoften used in estate planning.Additionally, Louisiana’s trust lawis very different than the other49 states. These differences areoften overlooked or treatedincorrectly in documents createdfor mass use.
Most legal sites have disclaimersto the effect that they don’t guarantee their documents willmeet a client’s specific needs.One even states that “information and opinionsreceived via the website shouldnot be relied upon for personal,medical, legal, or financial decisions.” Why would you trustyour family’s or loved one’sfuture to a website that disclaimsits ability to actually provide youwith what you need?
When considering how to planfor you or your family’s future,the best thing that you can do isfind a local legal professional youtrust. Look for a lawyer whotakes the time to learn aboutyour individual situation, offersoptions that you may have neverotherwise considered, and takessteps to ensure that each document is properly handled to suit your needs.
For those who think they couldnever afford a lawyer’s fees,remember that the peace of mindthat comes with settling yourestate is worth the investment.
Additionally, you and your familywill develop a relationship withsomeone who can be there toguide you through difficult timesthat often accompany disabilityand death.
Commercial holiday shoppingmay continue to highlight thesearch for the best and most convenient deal available, butwhen it comes to estate planning,the old adage remains true: youtypically get what you pay for.While online shoppers for holidaydeals may risk their purchasesbeing a different color than theyhad imagined, not fitting right,including additional shippingexpenses or coming in the mailafter Christmas, clients of onlineestate planning services risk leaving their family with unnecessary financial burdens orreaching the end of their livesonly to find out that they do notqualify for the benefits they need.So, continue to enjoy onlineshopping for your holiday presents, but when the new yearcomes and you resolve to protectyour family and loved ones bycompleting your estate planning,turn to local professionals whoare knowledgeable about estateplanning and can ensure youof the right solution to fit
your needs.
Mrs. Melancon has engaged in the practice oflaw in Louisiana for the past 17 years. The pri-mary focus of her practice is estate planning,special needs planning, elder law and probate.She is also accredited by the VA to give adviceregarding veterans’ benefits. For more infor-mation, please contact her at 225-744-0027.You may also visit her website atwww.LegacyCenterLa.com
YOUR ESTATE MATTERSBy Linda Melancon
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Roy’s Daiquiris hosted a benefit for Brave HeartChildren in Need on Sunday,Dec. 6 to collect items to helpcomfort children who are
experiencing the trauma ofbeing removed from theirhomes due to abuse and/orneglect. Brave Heart providesage-appropriate backpacks that
include hygiene items and aTeddy Bear to hug.
More than 500 Teddy Bearswere gathered at the event, with200 generously supplied by
Krispy Krunchy Chicken.Drawings for various doorprizes raised an additional$175!
Roy and Mary Robbins, along
Local Event Held to Benefit Brave Heart Children in Need
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with DeEtte Abshire, hostedthe successful event, featuring ajambalaya lunch, sponsored by
Blue Cross and Blue Shield ofLouisiana and entertainmentfrom Norma Landry and The
River Rats Band. Founded by Dee Robinson in
2004, Brave Heart Children in
Need serves 37 parishes acrossLouisiana. It offers foster chil-dren hope and encouragement.
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When children are removedfrom their homes, sometimesin the middle of the night,they are only able to take theclothes on their backs.
Brave Heart Children inNeed strives to give each child the tools to build self-confidence, tools to teachthem accountability by ownership, and items for comfort.
For more information abouthow you can help these children, visit www.braveheartchildren.org.
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The idea was actually born at theend of my annual Thanksgiving week-end lottery hunt on the Tensas RiverNational Wildlife Refuge. As my part-ner and I were saying goodbye to theowners of the Hunters BendCampground, Ms. Wanda Wallacementioned to me that I should cometo the refuges' National Hunting andFishing Day which was being heldnext September. I've attendedHunting and Fishing events on andoff since they were first established in1972. The Tensas event provides anopportunity that the others do notoffer. It allows all children under theage of 16 that attend the event toregister for a chance to be drawn forone of the two youth lottery deerhunts on the restricted access sectionof the refuge. As I left Tensas thatday, the thought of bringing mygranddaughter and grandson to theevent lingered in my mind through-out the following months.
The days of summer slowly passedby and time to make a decision to goto the outing came quickly after themention of the trip up north to theyoung kids. The young boy was excit-ed about the trip, but did not careabout the chance of the deer lotteryhunt. The girl, however was all aboutthe opportunity for the hunt and nowthere was no backing out for me.Now, the Tensas hunt was a long wayoff and before I would make the tripthe girl would have to prove herself.She would have to prove to me thatshe could accurately shoot a highpowered rifle. A trip to the firingrange in August proved her shootingskills were on target and that she hadno fear of the big gun.
The day of the event finally camearound and even though I'd had alate night playing music with theWildlife Band, I loaded the gang upthat morning and headed north.These events are totally focused onthe youngsters and it was spectacular.You have to to sign up for the lotteryhunts and be there at the time of thedrawing which comes at the end ofthe outing. As names were beingcalled the young girl paced nervouslyback and forth and all of a suddenMikaylah Bordelon's name was called.Her name was drawn for theDecember 23rd lottery hunt date. Wefished on the river that evening andspent the night at the camp celebrat-ing in the light of a camp fire.
During the fall we made squirrelhunts and made another trip to the
firing range. About five days beforethe hunt date, she entered my houseand I asked "What's up"? She quicklyreplied "Killing a deer, that's what'sup". The day to leave finally came andwe loaded the car and my pickup andthe three day journey began. Afterarriving that evening the kids caught abeautiful stringer of catfish for supper.The next day was about a squirrelhunt and a trip from the campgroundto the refuge visitor center. The firethat night was warm and theMawmaw had set the camp up with asmall Christmas tree. It was fromthose lights that I saw that little headbobbing and looking my way as soonas the alarm sounded.
The weather forecast that day washorrible and flashes of lightningreminded us of that as we headed forthe meeting area.
It was about an hour after daylightwhen our instructor whispered,there's a yearling in that water aboutfifty yards from us. His horns are justbreaking the skin. Why don't youhold off on this one. The young buck,approximately 80lbs, walked out intothe shooting lane and offered abroadside shot. As he walked off,knowing the weather forecast for thatday, I wondered if that might havebeen our only chance. The morninghunt ended at 10:00 and we headedback to the visitor center after pickingup several other participants. Severalof the youngsters had killed, othershad missed and some had not beenoffered a shot.
After lunch and several hours oflightning rain, hail, wind and a tor-rential downpour, the hunters wereloaded into the trucks for the ride tothe evening hunt locations. As weapproached our location we noticed anice buck standing in the shootinglane. He saw us and that was the endof that. We had changed instructorsfrom that morning, from a refugemanager to a young lady that volun-teers each year for the event. We wereall getting to know each other whentwo mature does walked out a mere25yds in front of us. The deer saw usbefore we saw them. The largest deerhad a tag in her ear and was wearing atracking device around her neck.About the time the young girl wasabout to squeeze the trigger, the deerspooked and that opportunity hadslipped away. We all kicked our buttsfor not paying better attention to thereason we were there. Time was slip-ping away. Around four o'clock we
were all in some kind of a daze whenI noticed a beautiful buck broadsidein the middle of the lane to our left.It was total chaos for a moment. Thebuck started to walk across when theinstructor muttered the word "meh".He stopped, the rifle fired and he leftthe scene immediately. He left so fastthat I figured something had touchedhim. There was so much mud andwater everywhere that it was hard forme to find where he had stood at thetime of the shot. My first attempt tofind any sign of a hit was unsuccessful.I returned back to the shooting blindand we reaffirmed the event. My sec-ond trip down range verified big bucktracks in the mud 105yds away fromthe stand. I carefully followed thetracks to where they entered the for-est and found what I hoped to see. Apiece of lung was hanging on a smallbranch and not far from that was theblood trail. We had all been instructednot to go looking for deer that hadbeen shot for safety reasons and so wewouldn't mess up any signs that thewildlife officials may need to track thedeer. I'm not very good at breakingrules, but it was very hard not to gofind that buck knowing that darknesswas not far away. To make mattersworse it had started to rain again. Isat there as I was instructed to dountil dark. When the wardensapproached, I brought them to theblood trail that I had marked and theytook us back to the refuge center. Therefuge employees assured me that if adeer was dead that they would find it.They explained that they had ways oftracking that most of us would neverknow. After all, they use these skills tosolve illegal cases. They grabbed atracking dog and several of them set
out to different locations to find deerthat had been shot by a couple of theyoung hunters.
Time seemed to pass ever so slowas we waited for some good news.After what seemed like an eternity mygranddaughter said, "Pawpaw theyhave been gone a long time, I don'tthink they are going to find him". Ipulled that piece of lung from myshirt pocket and told her, "Theymight not, but that deer is dead and Icould have found him". Well, it ain'tover till it's over and shortly after wehad that conversation, our instructorreceived a phone call with the newsthat we were waiting for. She smiledat Mikaylah and said "they found yourdeer!" After a short celebration andan attitude change, she filled out herbuck tag and applied it to a 157lb fivepoint Tensas buck as soon as the truckcame to the check point.
First deer are first deer. They'llnever be another one like that for her.This experience required a lot of timeand effort for everyone involved. Thatwas an adventure that we both willnever forget...
Till Next Time, Start Em Young, James "Goosie" Guice
Mikaylah’s Tensas Adventure
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Scene-A South Louisiana livingroom on Christmas Eve.Characters-The Kids-all ages from1-92, in all shapes and sizesUncle Bill-A disillusioned dreamerwho is so lost in the past that heheld up a “Help Mac Pack” sign atthe last LSU football game.
Act 1Kids (excitedly)-Uncle Bill’s
here! Uncle Bill’s here!Kid 1-But how did you get
here, Uncle Bill? I didn’t see yourtruck drive up.Uncle Bill-Well, in keeping with
the spirit of the season, I came bysled this year. Two nice mennamed Sean Payton and AlvinGentry drove me-both of themhaving experience in leading dog teams.Kid 2-Tell us one of your
famous Christmas stories, UncleBill-maybe the one about the greatreindeer heist of 2012 when youand your siblings stole all thewooden reindeer in the neighborhood and put them incompromising positions out byHighway 73.Bill-Oh, that’s a good one all
right. But some people didn’t seethe humor in the positions theyfound the ornamental deer in thenext morning-especially the guywho got rear-ended by rubber-neckers in the plant traffic. Hegot so mad he wanted to cut themale deer’s Rudolph!
But this year’s story involvessome lost souls in need of a littleholiday spirit. And speaking ofspirits, let Uncle Bill do his partfor international relationships bymixing a little French cognac andsome Cajun sugar cane whiskeywith this Pennsylvania DutchEggnog and we’ll get started…
Once upon a time there werethree so-called Wise Men-all ofwhom held positions of greatpower in the kingdom. One wasnamed Jingle Bobby because hisfavorite TV show was the “BradyBunch Christmas Special”.
The second was called Aleve Joebecause he claimed his stressful jobcaused lots of headaches althoughsome say it was because he was apain in the as-pirin. The third wassimply called Bitter Dave.Kid 3-Why was Dave so bitter,
Uncle Bill?Bill-Well, some folks believed it
was because some of his partyplaymates had dropped him fasterthan a Ben Simmons breakawaywhen he tried to take control ofthe kingdom. Others say hismood worsened when he wasdefeated by a man whose middlename was “Bel”.Kid 1-Hey, that could be our
state Christmas song-“Jindal, Bel,Jindal, Bel, Vitter’s gone away…”Bill-Clever, Will, but that’s not
the song this trio was singing dur-ing this holiday season. It wasmore like, “Lost in theWilderness”. You see these threeunhappy men were on a quest tofind the great Force in theUniverse that would make thempopular with the public again. Butin order to do so, they wereinstructed to first seek out a greatWizard who lived in McElroySwamp.Kid 2-Begging your pardon,
Uncle Bill, but I believe yourmind- which is as antiquated asLSU’s power-I offense- has mixedup about three different stories. Iknow that Luke Skywalker foundthe Jedi Master Yoda in a swampand embraced his inverted wordsof wisdom but…Bill-And so
would ourtrio find onewho spoke inconfusingparables morelike Yogi thanYoda but thepath wouldnot be easy aseverythingwas not“okey-dokeyin theOkefenokee”and our travelers soonlost their way.Kid 3-Isn’t
the Okefenokee Swamp in Florida?I’m getting very confused.Bill-True, but I couldn’t think
of any clever rhymes with“McElroy”. But if you thinkyou’re confused, listen to the conversation our pilgrims werehaving.
“I think we should go in a dif-ferent direction,” said Aleve Joe.“No, let’s just stay the course andkeep what we got. No, I think we should change. No, scratchthat idea.”
“Do you ever make up yourmind on anything and stick to it?”chastised Bitter Dave. “We’llnever get anywhere with yourwishy-washy ideas. Just followme-I’m a natural leader. I’ll justuse my moral compass to find theway. I’ll show them who wouldn’thave lasted a day at West Point.”
Jingle Bobby plopped downunder a cypress tree. “Maybe I’lljust go back to med school and bea doctor. Then all the peoplewould like the friendly countryphysician.”
“That sounds great,” snappedJoe. But you cut LSU’s budget so
much we had to close the medschool. And then you closed allthe hospitals so you wouldn’t havea place to work anyway.”
Suddenly, from out of that verytree, the Wizard they were seekingappeared. Grinning like aCheshire Cat, wearing a white capfrom the Mad Hatter collection,there could be no doubt this wasthe Legendary Lucky Les.
“Greetings, gentlemen. Wouldhave been here sooner but I was ata Time Management seminar thatteaches you how not to be late fora very important date,” smiledLes. “What can I do for you?”
Jingle Bobby wasted no time.“How did you swing public opinion to your side in just a weekwhen it looked like you were agone pecan? I mean, I comehome from Iowa expecting ahero’s welcome-not unlike Julius
Caesar- and the peasants are circling my castle with torches andpitchforks like the last scene froma Frankenstein movie.”
“And why are you always sohappy?” chimed in Bitter Davewho hadn’t smiled since leaving aBourbon Street establishment in2007.
“And how did I get cast in therole of the villain,” whined AleveJoe. “I’d go back to Duke butthey’d probably hit me with alacrosse stick.”
Lucky Les listened patiently tothe threesome and then replied insome sort of idiosyncratic babblethat Shakespeare might havereferred to as “chop logic”.
“Against the underlying backdrop of the recent situation,the want to remain in my currentposition forced me to, like aStradivarius violin, play the pressand administration to my advantage.
“Then, to sing the Alma Materoff key in front of a National audience with emphasis on thefinal ‘…forever LSU’…
“Well, a stroke of genius that
was- a gimmick you guys maywant to borrow from time totime.”
The Three Wise Men looked ateach other very confused.
“Hell, my botched response tothe State of the Union Address in2009, when I got compared to theincoherent Kenneth the Page ofthe comedy ‘30 Rock’ made moresense than that,” grumbled JingleBobby.
“Look, Lucky Les, let’s stop thisinsane rambling and get to thepoint,” said Dave who had onceled a 2-week filibuster. “How dowe find this Force? Do we followa star in the East? Do we blow upa Death Star?”
“I’d rather the former,” Joe stated. “No, the latter. No,either, neither or both.”
“Close you are with your laststatement,” lectured Les. “To follow your dream, you must seeka Dead Star from the South whoresides in the Great ThunderDome. There you will find onewhose blue suede shoes I am notfit to knock the artificial turf off of.”Kid 1-Okay, Uncle Bill, let me
attempt to get this straight. I maybe more off target than a Brandon Harris aerial but is thiscombination of a Biblical story,“Star Wars”, “Wizard of Oz”,“Alice in Wonderland” and “MadMax” going to conclude in theSuperdome?Bill-You’re quite astute, my lad,
because that’s exactly where theThree Wise Men ended up.Thanks to Bitter Dave who knewevery nookie and cranny of theCrescent City, the trio made theirway to the floor of the GreatDome.
“Now what do we do?” askedJoe who was not the best at making command decisions.
“We wait,” said Jingle Bobbywho had waited for months to getout of a junior varsity debate. Thewait was not that long.
From out of the Poydras Streetend of the Dome came an elderlygent with an umbrella doing apassable version of a New Orleansdance called “Second Line”.Bitter Dave was not impressed.
“We risked life and limb tocome see an antique ArchieBunker boogie around a footballfield?”
“Watch your mouth, loser,”spouted the ancient one. “Noteven the Saints could blow a leadlike the one you had in the pollssix months ago.”
“Are you the keeper of theForce? Can you make people loveus again?” sucked up Aleve Joe.
“I am Obenson-Gone-
The Farce Awakens or Don’t Put My Love on No Elfby Bill Delaune
Hey Dr. Rob?Is there a age
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31
Kookooie, but I just dance here.The one you seek is much smallerbut much greater than I.”
“That’s it,” snapped Joe in arare show of emotion. “I’m donelistening to a senile old man whocan’t even fire a coach without hiswife’s permission.”
“Listen who’s talking, you tes-ticular-challenged wimp of a …”
“Guys, guys, calm down. It’sChristmas.” The voice came froma small creature on a stage thathad been erected for an AaronNeville concert since the Saintswere mercifully out of town. “I’m the one you’re looking for.”
The Three Wise Men drew closer to the stage as Obensonboogied off into oblivion tobehold an elfish being with aPompadour haircut clad in a redjumpsuit unbuttoned to the naveland three scarfs wrapped aroundhis neck.
“I’m Elfis,” he began. “I knowwho you are and why you’re hereso let’s get right to it. Look, fellows, if you don’t want to havea ‘Blue Christmas’, you have to‘Follow Your Dream’ and drop allthis political nonsense.”
“For instance, Bitter Dave, youstill have a job to do inWashington. ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ therest of your term. Forget about allyour rich lobbyist buddies and dosomething for the working peopleof your state. Like fix the roadsand get the old folks some
affordable medicine. And stay outof those ‘Heartbreak Hotels’.
“And Jingle Bobby, find somemoney for education and healthservices so people don’t think youhave a ‘Wooden Heart’. You certainly had no trouble raisingmoney when you were running forPresident.
“And as for you, Aleve Joe,grow some cahoonies. Don’t be a“Teddy Bear” your entire life. “
He handed each a scarf as hespoke. “These will help you wipeaway any negative thoughts any-time you get ‘Suspicious Minds’.Now come over here and helpyourself to my Christmas buffet ofpeanut butter and banana sand-wiches and jelly doughnuts beforeI leave the building. I have to getback to the North Pole beforeDonald Trump finds out I’m inthe country.”Kid 2-That story started out
very strange but I sorta liked theending. Hey, Uncle Bill, didn’tElfis have a song about wise men.I think it started, “Wise men say,‘Only fools rush in…’”Bill- And I can’t help falling in
love with all of you and especiallymy faithful readers who put upwith me all year long!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Ascension Catholic Girls Cross Country Team Recognized at Parish Council MeetingAscension Parish President Tommy Martinez presented parish certificates of recognition to members of the Ascension Catholic High SchoolGirls Cross Country Team at the Dec. 3 Parish Council meeting in Donaldsonville. The Lady Bulldogs are Class 1A State Champions. Theteam, coached by Head Coach Rocky Capello and Assistant Coaches Janet Daigle, A.J. Thibodeaux and Kiley Spano took first place teamhonors at the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA State Cross Country Championship held on Nov. 16 at Northwestern State University inNatchitoches. Stephanie Breaux was individual state champion while Sophie Daigle was an individual bronze medalist. Shown from left toright, front row: Mariana Cuervo, Breanna Bernard, Danielle Brou, Sophie Daigle, Stephanie Breaux, Whitney Eure, Ashleigh LeBlanc, HaleyDupre, Marie Landry, Victoria Eure, Meredith Daigle and Catherine Eure. Second row: Councilman Oliver Joseph, Parish President TommyMartinez and Head Coach Rocky Capello. Third row: Councilman Travis Turner, Councilman Daniel “Doc” Satterlee, Councilman DempseyLambert, Council Chairman Randy Clouatre, Councilman Todd Lambert, Councilman Chris Loar and Councilwoman Teri Casso. Not shown:Danielle Giroir and Bailey LeBlanc.
33
That FirstGuitar Feeling
If you ask any guitarist, from thehobbyist to the most famous, they aresure to be able to tell you the story oftheir first guitar. Some may be storiesof horror and some may be stories of atrue blessing, but none-the-less theyare memories that will stay with the
player forever. Here is my insight andmy opinions on selecting the perfectfirst instrument. Although this articleis directed more towards guitar, otherinstrument purchases can follow a similar form.
There are three main areas to look atwhen selecting a new instrument:sound, look, and feel. To theadvanced player, sound may be themost important area. Their selectioncan be driven by trying to fill a specificneed or situation, live or in the studio.For the beginner, this should be oneof the last areas to weigh in on yourdecision making. As you advance as aplayer, you will learn what you like and
what you don’t like. Sound is a verysubjective medium, and not everyonewill agree on what a good soundingguitar is. Some people like the soundof a Fender, while others favor aTaylor...like myself.
Looks is another area that is completely driven by our personaltaste. While most people may thinkthis is one of the least importantaspects of guitar buying, I believe that
it's nearly the top of the list. The waythings look can fuel our attitude andemotions. We make decisions basedon looks everyday. Think about yourlast car purchase. (Was it made strictlyon functionality? or Did looks play alarger role?) In the same way, selecting a guitar that is asceticallypleasing is very important. We tend to want to interact more often withthings that stimulate us visually. I’dbet that Steve Jobs would attribute alarge amount of Apple’s success totheir visually stunning and against thegraindesigns. Aguitar that is attractive toyou willmake youwant topractice andplay it moreoften.
Mostbeginnersthat give upearly ontheir dreamof playing aninstrumentdo sobecause of how hard it can be to physically play as they are getting started. But it doesn’t have to be thatway. Selecting the right instrument foryour hands is extremely important
because the shapeand size of each guitar neck canvary. Finding aguitar the is com-fortable to holdwill bring youhours of fun andenjoyment,instead of it feeling like work.Look for a guitar
with low "action", the height that thestrings sit off of the fingerboard orplaying surface. High action willresult in a very uncomfortable playingguitar and will hinder you or yourchild's ability to learn. Playability issomething that cannot be accountedfor when making an online purchase.
Your local retailer should be able tofit you to the perfect instrument. Goin and see them, ask questions and"pet the animals"! (Try out a fewinstruments). Remember, the firstinstrument is a big part of your playing career. It will set you on thepath to success with plenty of fun andenjoyment, or it could cause your
dream to fade reallyquickly. As always, weinvite you to stop byMusic Inc and say hello!We are coming to an endto 2014, which means wewill be finishing up our45th year of helping customers find their perfect first instrument!
By Brandt Bourque
My Son and I HaveProof That Santa ClausReally Exist.
Oh wow! Santa Claus is comingto town. Those words used toexcite me to no end and manipu-late me to make all the right decisions and not to do anythingwrong. Even a young 9 year old
has the brain capacity to realize noone wants switches and ashes onChristmas morning and I believethat still today.
As exciting as Christmas was forme as a kid it got even better as afather and an adult.
As much fun as it was to havemy son to enjoy Christmas in hisvery young years I couldn’t waittill he was old enough to messwith and seal the deal that Santawas truly real.
We had many fun episodes andexcitement and I’d like to share afew of those.
When Michael was old enoughto realize and understand that wecould play a trick on Santa andtrick him into falling for our trap,I was really setting the trap for my son.
At a young age he and I wereliving in a house without a chimney. The natural questionfrom him was, “How is Santagoing to get in the house?” I simply responded he must beusing the front door. “What aboutit being locked?”he exclaimed.Simple, Santa is magic!
After pondering the entrance ofthe front door I suggested that weput a big pile of Baby Powder atthe base of the front door. “Whatwould that do Dad?” When heenters he will step in it and will seehis foot prints every where hewalked. Immediately, he looked atme with a smile that would lightup a room. I think he ran so fastto the bathroom to get the powder he fell down shoutingback at me,”I’m alright!” Then hereturned and we set the trap. Agiant pile of white powder coveredthe entrance of the front door. Hethen ran to the back door of thehouse. I asked, “What are youdoing?” He replied, “Headed tothe back door. He’s not gettingpast me!”
The trap was set for both Santaand Michael and what a trap itwas. The next morning after a tinynudge while he slept like a baby.He opened his eyes and before Icould tell him Merry Christmas hejumped up and ran to the livingroom. Unlike most kids he didn’teven look at the tree to see whatgifts he had. He ran straight to thefront door and then the back door.With a giant grin on his face hesaid, “Santa is a front door mannot a back door man.” There werewhite powder foot prints that allover the living room going backand forth from the front door witha pile of presents all around thetree. He was so thrilled to knowwe caught him in the act and thenit hit him to look outside to see ifwhere the foot prints lead. Sureenough there were prints leadingdown the side walk and a plastictrash can at the corner of thehouse had its lid crushed in. Helooked at the white prints on thelid and then looked to the roof.He ran into the front yard to get abetter look at the roof and what tohis wondering eyes should appear.There were white baby powderfoot prints on the roof. He lookedat me, smiled and started spinningin the yard with hands held highscreaming, “He was here, he washere!” It was a magical morningand you can never tell that boy tothis day that Santa isn’t real. He’s28 years old now.
The next year Christmas camealong and Michael had learned afew things from me while huntingdeer with putting corn out on ourstands. He asked, “Dad, do reindeer eat corn?” Seizing theopportunity to educate him moreabout catching Santa I informedhim rein deer like Fruitloops andChex trail mix and Rudolph goescrazy over popcorn.
Since we caught Santa the yearbefore I suggested we set a trap forthe reindeer and Santa’s sleigh.
We started by painting signs toplace in the yard as a directional,‘Santa Land Here’ with an arrowpointing the way. Then we strungChristmas light creating a landingstrip for Santa to land. The landing
strip included colorful pin wheelsat each corner to help Santa withwind direction and wind speed.The landing strip was about 20ft.long and 4 ft. wide but had to be placed in the yard to accom-modate an easy landing around thebig pecan tree. Of course I had todescribe to Michael that Santawould circle around the treesacross the street and swoop in andland at the perfect angle we hadlaid the lighted landing strip.
After the lights were set it wastime to bait the trap. Fruitloopsand Chex mix were ready to beplaced on the ground in the positions of all the deer. I mustadmit when he ask, “Do all thereindeer like the same thing?” itcaught me off guard. However Iseized the moment to add a littlespice to our adventure. I told himDasher, Prancer and Cupid likedmore mix than Fruitloops andDancer, Vixen and Comet preferred more Fruitloops and afewer Chex mix. Donder andBlitzen were straight Fruitloops.His next question sent us to theinternet. “How do we know whichdeer are in which positions?”Amazing enough the internet haseverything.
I then poured out someunpopped popcorn on the groundat the front and head position.Michael looked at me asking whythe kernels and not popped popcorn. It was a simple answer.Rudolph likes fresh popped popcorn and when Rudolph places hismagic nose to the ground the popcorn will pop and it will be hotand fresh for him. With a giantsmile he poured the entire jar atthe end of the landing strip.
We went inside and enjoyed allthe Christmas traditions and finallyI got him in bed. While sleepingSanta came again on ChristmasEve and the next morning healmost head butted me jumpingout of his bed to check the landing strip.
Sure enough Santa had landed.There were skid marks in theground where the sled had landed.The mixtures for all the deer werecrunched on and munched up.The most magical thing was therewas popped popcorn everywhere.Apparently when his nose touchesit not only pops its spreads out atleast 5 feet. There were deer hoofprints in the ground and a notethanking Michael for thinking ofthe deer and thanks for the cookieand milk for him. He immediatelybegan to spin and yelling, “He washere. He was here!”
I miss those days of bringingmagic to my son but the magic is set and will pass on from generation to generation.
Years later Michael and I werehunting around Christmas Dayand he said, “Dad, Thanks forbeing the best Santa Ever.”
This is proof Santa is real andChristmas dreams do come true.
34
Thoughts from Bully
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$3 from 8-11pm!!! K A R A O K E & D J M U S I C
SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT 2 FOR 1
Useless Random Factswith Kellie
•Most of Santa’s reindeer have male-sounding names, such asBlitzer, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed
their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pullingSanta’s sleigh are likely not male, but female or castratid
•Studies show that cows produce more milk when
listening to relaxing music•
Chickens can see daylight 45 minutes before humans can.•
The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers
•All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas
would equal 364 gifts.•
According to the Guinness world records, the tallestChristmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was
displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center inSeattle, Washington
•The world’s largest Christmas stocking measured 106 feet
and 9 inches (32.56 m) long and 49 feet and 1 inch (14.97m) wide. It weighed as much as five reindeer and heldalmost 1,000 presents. It was made by the Children’s
Society in London on December 14, 2007•
Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas alegal holiday, in 1907
•Giraffes have the highest blood pressure of any mammal.
•Libra is the only zodiac sign represented by
an inanimate object•
In 1878, the first telephone book issued only had 50 names•
Chinese judges in the 15th century used glasses with dark-ened lenses to hide their facial expressions in court.
•Until coffee gained popularity, beer was the beverage
of choice for breakfast in most urban areas of the United States.
•Scraps of Christmas can make problems for you many times.The Christmas scraps are responsible for 400,000 cases of
disease and sickness after the Christmas time•
According to an old wives’ tale if you bake bread on theChristmas Eve then it will be fresh forever. It’s yet to be
known that how many people actually believe in this storyand how many of them have ever tried it.
Friday Jan. 22 • Foret Tradition
FREE WIFI
Saturday Dec. 26 ... Mojeaux
Grand MarshallMayor
Barney Arceneaux
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• Fried and Smoked Turkeys
• Spiral Honey Hams
• Briskets & Pork Roasts
BreakfastLunch & Dinner
BreakfastLunch & DinnerStarting to take orders for
Holiday Feast
FRANK II FRANK III
622.5085 44253 Hwy. 42 ( 1 m i l e f r o m P o r t V i n c e n t )
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AbrasivesAdhesives, Sealants & TapesChemicals, Lubricants & PaintsDisplay UnitsElectrical & LightingElectrical ToolsFasteners, Clamps & StrapsHand ToolsOilfieldHVACJanitorial Equipment
Marking ToolsMaterial HandlingMeasuring & Leveling ToolsMRO SuppliesPlumbing EquipmentPneumaticsPumpsPower ToolsSafety & SecurityWelding Supplies
30 Years of Top Notch ServicesBraud Company Welding & Industrial Supplieshas been providing material to industries for overthirty years. Our emphasis is on service. We take pride in same day delivery and customer service is always our number one priority and we deliver ontime, everytime. We have a well stocked walk-in sales counterwhere you can purchase any quantity of an item.
225.673.3370 • Toll Free 888.269.4315 • www.braudco.com
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Locally Owned & Operated by Oscar and Linda Mire and sons
Call for Appointment • 225.644.8473
24 Hr. Emergency Roadside Service
State-of-the-Art Equipment
BIGGEAUX’S TIRES NOW OPEN1 3 0 5 3 H W Y. 4 3 1 • S T. A M A N T
• All tires from ATV to Commercial Machinery• All brands to fit autos, trucks and
18 wheelers, including tractor/construction equipment tires
• Emergency road service assistance-Commercial Only
• Locally owned and operated since 2004• New used and retreads
• Great prices!
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The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros and their Five locations is a solid community.
These Kids Rock!
MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE
1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 • 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 • 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 • 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-810318562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473
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MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE
The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros and their Five locations is a solid community.
These Kids Rock!1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 • 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 • 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 • 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-8103
18562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473
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The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros and their Five locations is a solid community.
These Kids Rock!1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 • 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 • 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 • 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-8103
18562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473
MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE
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Cooking Gourmet at Homewith SNO’S SEAFOOD & STEAKS
Executive Chef Ben Jarreau
Yield:8 servingsPrep Time:40 minutesCook Time:25 minutes
Ingredients:6 mirlitons1 ½ lbs baby shrimp2 cups finely chopped onion1 cup finely chopped celery1 cup finely chopped bell pepper2 tbls minced garlic½ cup thinly sliced green onions¼ cup creole mustard1 ½ cups bread crumbs (more or less depending on your preference)
Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste. (2 tsp salt, 1 tspblack pepper, ½ tsp red pepper)
Method:Place the miriltons in a large pot and cover with water. Bringthe water to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and cool. When cool enough tohandle, half the mirlitons, peel, then remove the seeds and cut into cubes.
While the militons are cooking, cook your onions, celery, bellpepper and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add the mirlitons and shrimp and cook until shrimp are done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat, then add the creole mustard,green onions, bread crumbs and seasoning. Mix well.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a greased baking dish, evenlyspread your stuffing and bake for 20-25 minutes or untilbrown. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and serve.
** Great stuffing for chicken, turkey, or pork**
Shrimp & Mirliton Stuffing (Chayote)
A great dish for this Holiday Season
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The Inn at Houmas HousePlantation and Gardens
"The Great River Roads" newest and most elegant bed and breakfast.
Our cottages are nestled along an alley of ancient oak trees, where you will have full access to our world famous gardens to watch the sunset or relax in a cozy spot and enjoy the gentle breeze from the Mississippi River.
The cottages depict historic structures that once graced Uncle Sam Plantation,which was located downriver from Houmas House. Each room is complete
with a single king or queen size bed or double queen beds, marble bathrooms, and a porch to enjoy the view.
Luxurious and romantic, each room is decorated with old world furnishingsallowing you to experience the lavish lifestyle of the wealthy Sugar Barons ofthe early 1800's. With all the amenities world class travelers expect today.
Breakfast and a tour of the mansion are included.Check In: 4pm Check Out: 11am.
Book Now Online www.houmashouse.comor call (225) 473-9380.
40136 Hwy 942, River Road, Darrow, LA 70725225.473.9380 • [email protected]
