Mardi Gras (2)

| MARDI GRAS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

MARDI GRAS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011 | PAGE 3

ST. TAMMANY

NEWS 2011 Mardi Gras ParadesCover design: Sheila Allemand

BBiillggeeFeb. 19

Oak Harbor Marina

PPeerrsseeuussFeb. 20Slidell

PPeeaarrll RRiivveerr LLiioonnssFeb. 20

Pearl River

KKrreewwee ddee PPaawwssFeb. 25Slidell

EEvveeFeb. 25

Mandeville

MMoonnaa LLiissaa && MMoooonn PPiiee Feb. 25Slidell

PPuusshh--MMoowwFeb. 26

Abita Springs

OOllyymmppiiaaFeb. 26

Covington

TTiittaannssFeb. 26Slidell

DDiioonnyyssuussFeb. 27Slidell

TTcchheeffuunncctteeFeb. 27

Madisonville

SSeelleenneeMarch 4Slidell

OOrrpphheeuussMarch 4

Mandeville

LLyyrraaMarch 4

Mandeville

BBuusshhMarch 5

Bush

CCoovviinnggttoonn LLiioonnssMarch 8

Covington

CCoovviinnggttoonnMarch 8

Covington

CChhaahhttaaMarch 8

Lacombe

FFoollssoommMarch 8Folsom

MMaarrddii PPaawwssMarch 13

Mandeville


Slidell has the mostparades during the carnivalseason in the parish, and tomake sure that the paradesremain safe and familyfriendly, Slidell Police ChiefRandy Smith remindseverybody what rules andregulations are in place toensure a fun and safe MardiGras season.

Smith said police officerswill be out in force alongthe parade route. Therewill be undercover policeofficers patrolling theparade route looking forunderage drinkers and peo-ple causing a disturbance.Smith said violators wouldeither be issued a summonsor arrested. Officers fromthe police departments ofPearl River, Mandeville andMadisonville as well asdeputies from the St.Tammany Sheriff ’s Officewill assist the Slidell police.Smith warns spectators

that it is against the law tothrow objects at floats or tointerfere with a float’sprogress.

He also reminds specata-tors that it is illegal to bringany animal or reptile to theparade. Animals cannot bewithin 150 feet of a paraderoute, and the animals’owners can be fined up to$500 if caught by SlidellPolice or the Slidell AnimalControl Division.

Smith said this year, newsigns will be posted alongFront Street that onlyallows parking 12 hoursbefore and after a parade.Parked cars in violation ofthis new regulation face aticket and possible towing,Smith said. He remindspeople not to park theircars in a manner that willimpede the parade, andpeople should not parktheir cars on private prop-erty unless they have per-

mission from the owners.For families that want to

have an even safer experi-ence with their children,the city of Slidell and theBethany Lutheran Church

on Gause Boulevard havecordoned off the blockbetween Eighth and Ninthstreets on Gause and turnedit into an alcohol and drug-free zone for spectators. No

alcohol, drugs or tobaccouse will be allowed withinthe zone. Police officerswill be on duty around thezone to enforce the rulesand violators will be ticket-

ed. For parade spectators inMandeville, there is also adrug and alcohol free zoneon the West CausewayApproach near the BeauRivage subdivision.

Mardi GrasSafety TipsTTrraaffffiicc

• If you are walking or riding

a bike, be aware of other peo-

ple walking, bicyclists and

cars — especially before, dur-

ing and after the parade.

• Do not run in between or

chase floats for beads or

throws.

• Clear the path for bands

and other marching groups as

they go by.

• Never reach under a float

for a throw, even when it is

stopped.

BBeeaaddss && TThhrroowwss

• Do not ever put beads or

doubloons in your mouth.

Not only are they dirty, you

could accidentally swallow

them and choke.

• Be careful of beads being

thrown from the floats and by

people in the parade.

• During the day, wear sun-

glasses to protect your eyes

from the sun and throws.

• Don’t fight over throws.

FFaallll PPrreevveennttiioonn

• Be careful while standing

on ladders. Make sure your

parents are with you while

standing or sitting on a ladder.

Do not place ladders in inter-

sections. Do not fasten lad-

ders together.

• Do not climb on or over

barricades; they are there to

protect you.

LLoosstt && FFoouunndd

• Stay close to your parents

during the whole parade.

Before the parade, have a

meeting place decided on in

case your parents get lost.

• If you cannot find the meet-

ing place, look for a police

officer; they will help you.

HHeeyy ppaarreennttss......

Remember, don’t leave chil-

dren alone. Keep your eyes

on them at all times. Many

people drink during the Mardi

Gras season, please be extra

careful while driving or walk-

ing near parades or traffic.

Keep all beads, small throws

and plastic bags out of reach

of children. They may cause

choking or suffocation. Buy

only age appropriate toys and

trinkets from vendors.

Remember snapping pops

and smaller toys are for the

older kids. If a toy fits in the

cardboard cylinder from a roll

of tissue paper, it is a choking

hazard. Make sure a child’s

vision is not obscured by

mask.

Slidell officials urge parade-goers to be safe this Mardi Gras season

Claude kicksoff paradesThe krewe of Claude

rolled through the streetsof Slidell Feb. 6, kickingoff the Mardi Gras season.Paying tribute to theirneighborhood, membersthrew their signaturepecans. (Staff Photos bySuzanne Le Breton)

The oldest carnival krewe in Slidell markedit’s 50th anniversary Sunday with a gloriousparade Feb. 13 through the streets of Slidellunder brilliant blue skies.

King and Queen Samaritan, Chuck Sabadieand Lisa Clement had gorgeous weather after aweek of cold and rain as they led theirentourage with the theme, “Diamonds are aGirl’s Best Friend.” The bright sunshinecheered up the crowds that begged for beads,cups and doubloons from float riders. Thisyear’s honorary Grand Marshal was CeceliaDrennan, wife of Slidell Mayor FreddyDrennan. (Staff Photos by Erik Sanzenbach)

Slidelliansturns 50

HonoraryGrand Mar-

shall for theKrewe of

Slidellians,Cecelia

Drennan, getsbeads ready

to throw.(Staff Photos

by ErikSanzenbach)

Queen and King Samaritan 2011,Lisa Clement and Chuck Sabadiewave to their subjects as the Kreweof Slidellians rolls through Slidell.


By Suzanne Le BretonSt. Tammany News

Normally thought of as asinful holiday, Mardi Grasactually has a history basedon the Christian calendar,which celebrates the daythe gift-bearing Magi visit-ed the baby Jesus, alsoknown as the Epiphany andrepresents the close of theChristmas season.

Also known as TwelfthNight or Kings Day, this dayfalls on Jan. 6 and is cele-brated in different waysthroughout the world.The south Louisiana tradi-tion, which is based heavilyon European influences,includes the baking of acake in honor of the threekings.

The tradition states thatthe cakes are baked in anoval shape to represent theunity of faiths and eachcake is decorated in the tra-ditional Mardi Gras colorsof purple, green and gold,

representing justice, faithand power respectively.The small plastic baby,which is hidden deep insidethe cake’s bread, representsthe baby Jesus.

As in the Biblical story ofthe Magi, the search for thebaby brings about a sense ofexcitement and anticipa-tion, and custom dictatesthat the one who finds the

baby shall have good luckand, in most cases, theresponsibility of buying theking cake for the next gath-ering.

While the original cakeswere merely sweet rolldough with cinnamon,braided and baked in a cir-cular shape, bakers havemade adaptations to thebasic recipe to furthertempt their customers’palates.

Popular nowadays arethe filled king cakes, andbakers are filling cakes witha vast variety of fillingsalong with the ever popularcream cheese.

Marguerite Riehm,owner of Marguerite’sCakes in Slidell, claims shewas the first to put filling inking cakes.

She started putting applein king cakes while experi-menting in her kitchen ather house in Kenner in1981.

“I love to experiment,”

she said, adding that peoplereally liked the change.

Riehm puts in her fillingsbefore she bakes them tobake in the flavor and main-tain the cake’s freshness.

She said the favorite isstill the traditional kingcake but number of peoplerequesting fillings isincreasing every year.

Marguerite continues toexperiment with differentfillings. Her Cajun pralineking cake is very popular,especially for those want-ing to ship something spe-cial to family or friends outof state.

This year she came upwith a king cake filled withkey lime and Bavariancream.

Traditionally, the kingcake season, which coin-cides with the carnival sea-son, begins on TwelfthNight and wraps up withMardi Gras on Fat Tuesday.However, Riehm said, thetradition of people limiting

themselves to only buyingor eating king cakes duringthis particular season hasgone by the wayside.She said king cakes arebecoming a popularChristmas gift as locals lookfor new and creative waysto send some Louisiana fla-vor to other corners of theworld.

This year the traditionalking cake season is a longone since Mardi Gras is solate, and bakers like Riehmare reaping the benefits.

Riehm said she is bakingon average 200 king cakes anight to have them readyfor the next day, and sheexpects that number todouble the two weeks priorto Mardi Grad day.

Just last week sheopened up a retail shop inMandeville, located nextdoor to the Department ofMotor Vehicles, to keep upwith the demand of peoplewanting to buy her cakes onthe west side of the parish.

Local bakeries celebrate tradition of king cakes

Marguerite Riehm, owner of Marguerite’s Cakes inSlidell, puts icing on one of her king cake creations.(Staff Photo by Suzanne Le Breton)

The Pearl River LionsClub will hold its annual

parade Feb. 20 at 1:15 p.m.The parade will follow

its traditional route, start-ing at Pearl River High

School and traveling southon Louisiana Highway 41 toU.S. Highway 11 where itwill proceed to La. 41 Spur

and back to U.S. 11. It willdisband at the Pearl RiverTown Hall. The public wasinvited to participate with

floats, trucks and trailers,horse groups or golf carts.Participants were asked tomake a $35 donation to theLions Club, and the moneyraised will be donated tothe Lions Children’s Campin Leesville.

This year’s theme is“Swamp Legends.”

The grand marshal everyyear is the Lion’s Club’sCitizen of the Year. Thisyear that is WhiteyMayfield, who dedicatesmuch of her time to volun-teering in the local schools.

In 1978, seven residentsin Eden Isles decided thatthey would put a carnivalkrewe together comprisedof boat floats that would

parade or “float” throughthe canals of Eden Isles.

Thirty-three years later,the Krewe of Bilge hasbecome one of the mostunique carnival krewes onthe Northshore and themetropolitan New Orleansarea.

The theme of the floatingparade for 2011 is “What’son TV?” and spectators canexpect a lot of original andfunny floats. At the end ofthe parade there will bewinners for BestDecorated, Best Costumed,Most Novel and Best

Overall boat floats.The Krewe of Bilge Boat

Parade will be at noonSaturday. The boats willgather and starts at Phil’sMarina Café on LakeviewDrive.

King Neptune XXXI willrule over the marine mad-ness, and this year thathonor goes to Robert “Red”Schwab. The Captain of thekrewe is Wayne Dunne.

King Neptune’s court for2011 includes maidsCorynne Toranto, RebeccaLewis, Haley Drummond,Sabrina Lannes, HeidiDunne, Mariah Tran and

Brooke Artigue. The dukesare Mark Toranto, Wilfred“Bubby” Lewis, ChrisBroome, Juan Price, GeraldDunny, Nicholas LonerganIII and Richard Artigue.

PAGE 8 | MARDI GRAS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

Krewe of Bilge • Feb. 19 • noon • Oak Harbor Marina

Bilge announcesits 2011 royalty

Pearl River Lions Club • Feb. 20 • 1:15 p.m. • Pearl RiverAnnual Lions Club parade to follow town of Pearl River’s traditional parade route

SABRINA LANNES, REBECCA LEWIS, CORYNNE TORANTO AND MARIAH TRAN

KING NEPTUNE XXXIROBERT SCHWAB

BROOKE ARTIGUE, HALEY DRUMMOND AND HEIDI DUNNE


Krewe of Perseus • Feb. 20 • 1 p.m. • Slidell

This fun-loving krewe,which started as just asocial club 41 years ago hasbecome one of the biggestand most prestigiouskrewes in Slidell.

This year, the krewe willroll at 1 p.m. Feb. 20 follow-ing the traditional Slidellparade route from FritchiePark to PontchartrainDrive, to Front Street, thenGause Boulevard where theparade disbands atMidtown Square.

Parade spokesman GeneSt. Gene said there will be13 floats in the parade withthe theme of “Where Y’at?”.He said that all the Slidellhigh schools will be repre-sented with their marchingbands as well as the dancetroupes, Shriners and hors-es. Besides the normalthrows, the krewe memberswill toss out their signaturecrab throws that havebecome a favorite withSlidell parade spectators.

King Perseus XLI andQueen Andromeda XLI areDarrell Smith and AngelaBales Smith. Maids areKelly Laigast, Eldora Sands,Connie Hulbert and MaryBoarder. The Princessesare:

Ms. Whitney Page

Grannan, Ms. Jordan RoseDier, Ms. Bonnie Lavigne,Ms Cassandra MignonneSoniat du Fossat, Ms.Margret Mary Morgan, Ms.Jordan Ashley Levy, Ms.Easton Miller Sisco, Ms.Natasha Marie Bourgeois,Ms. Marie Mahin Matahari,Ms. Ashlee Mancuso, Ms.Ashlee Elizabeth Morning,Ms. KeeLee Andrews, Ms.Averi Kendall Harris, andMs. Brittany Ann Kastner.

The Consorts are:Mr. Christian Lawrence

Nunez, Mr. Matthew ChaseLavigne, Mr. ChristopherMichael Milligan, Mr.Walker Tyler Ray, Mr.Darryl Vance Warner III,

Mr. Devin Patrick Keister,Mr. Shawn Michael Stowe, ,Mr Evan Michael Petruska,Mr Luis B. Martinez III,Mr. Darien Guevara, Mr.’

Michael Harrison Pagones,Mr. Trenton JacobJohnson, , Mr Evan JosephJoffrion, and Mr. RyanLohrenz.

Merry makers of Persues to roll

KING PERSEUS XL1 DARRELL SMITH AND QUEENANDROMEDA XLI ANGELA BALES SMITH

CAPTAIN ALLEN LITTLE

PERSEUS MAIDS KELLY LAIGAST, ELDORASANDS, CONNIE HULBERT AND MARY BOARDER

By Debbie GloverSt. Tammany News

As part of every year’sMardi Gras celebration,dog lovers will once againhit the streets with theirfurry, four-legged charges.

Krewe De Paws willparade on Feb. 25 at 6 p.m.in Olde Towne Slidell. Thetheme for this Northshoredog parade is “Howling atthe Moon(pie),” which isappropriate since the petswill march right ahead ofthe Mona Lisa/Moon Piepeople parade.

In addition to the parade,the host meets the secondFriday of each month atAbigail’s for a DoggoneGood Party from 6-9 p.m.

For registration informa-tion go to www.krewede-paws.com or call GeneDuvic at 639-3340.Memberships start at $40.

In Mandeville, TheMystic Krewe of MardiPaws rolls on Sunday,March 13, along theMandeville Lakefront at 2p.m. with same-day regis-

tration taking place at theMandeville Harbor at 12:30p.m. “Mardi Paws is Diggin’Louisiana!” is the themethis year.

Reigning at this year’s

parade will be the 2011Celebrity Grand MarshalDon Dubuc and his 4-year-old German shorthairedpointer Chocolate HeadGracie. Celebrity mascotsfor this year’s paradeinclude all the favorites –Hugo the Hornet, Gumbothe St. Bernard, Boudreauxfrom the New OrleansZephyrs, Mojo and Bonesfrom the New OrleansVooDoo and keeping themall in line will be the SDTBull Mascot.

Throws include the spe-cial, rare, gold dog droppinggiven out by the royals, thepurple dog droppingsthrown by past royalty plusa variety of throws fromparading pooches includingstuffed cats, beads, cupsand doubloons.

The 2011 GrandChampion Prize for bestcostume is being sponsoredby Raising Cane’s, with theprize being free Cane’s for ayear. Each winner willreceive the coveted signedand numbered “poop tro-phy” by local artist TedPullig.

The cost to participate isa $15 registration fee perdog capped at $45 for threeor more dogs from the samehousehold. Parading dogsneed to be current on allvaccinations and can’t havevicious tendencies or needto be muzzled.

For registration forms,

more information or direc-tions please log on towww.MardiPaws.com, orcall Have a Heart thru Art

at 892-0060 or the St.Tammany Tourist Office at(800) 634-9443. The raindate is Sunday, March 20.


Krewe de Paws • Feb. 25 • Slidell / Mardi Paws • March 13 • MandevilleMardi Gras goes to the dogs in Slidell, Mandeville

CHOCOLATE HEAD GRACIE


In 1986, six local resi-dents decided to form aladies’ Mardi Gras ParadeKrewe. After many weeksof gathering information,they gave a party and invit-ed local women. From thisgathering, the Krewe of Evestarted with 260 ladies.

The Krewe of Eve firstparaded in Mandeville onFeb. 14, 1987, with its firsttheme, “Famous Lovers”and on Feb. 25, the Kreweof Eve will presents its 25thanniversary parade, withthe theme, “Eve’s 25thMasquerade.”

While the organization isnoted for it’s beautifulparade, Eve members alsoparticipate in many com-

munity projects. Evemembers contribute,through Eve, to Toys forTots and The Food Bank.The krewe has also helpedwith Habitat for Hu-

manity’s Women’s Buildand is part of the D.A.R.E.convention and a memberof the West St. TammanyChamber of Commerce.

This year the parade will

roll with 23 floats. Fifteenof those will be krewefloats, seven will be royaltyfloats; and there will be onespecial birthday float.Riders will don special 25thanniversary costumes.

As always riders will bethrowing Eve’s signatureapple beads as well askrewe cups, stuffed swords,footballs and koozies.

Other coveted catcheswill be individual floatthemed beads and specialcaptain and officers’ lightedapple beads.

Bonnie Boettner Morganand Mandeville Council-man Jerry Coogan willreign as Queen Eve XXVand King Adam XXV.

Krewe of EveFeb. 25 • 7 p.m. • Mandeville

Eve gets Mandeville parades going

QUEEN BONNIE BOETTNER MORGAN AND KINGJERRY COOGAN


Krewe of Mona Lisa & Moon PieFeb. 25 • 7 p.m. • Slidell

According to the captainof the Krewe of Mona Lisa-Moonpie, Tom Collins, themembers of this unusualorganization don’t takethemselves too seriously.

“We like to ridicule our-selves,” Collins said. That isobvious. Last year Collinshas changed his title fromcaptain to MagnanimousMukkity-Muck.

The organization isfamous for its non-motor-ized floats that is usually arag-tag collection of deco-rated grocery carts and baby

Queen Mona Lisa, Charlotte Lowry Collins and KingMoonpie, Terry Maddox, are presented to the mem-bers of the Krewe of Mona Lisa and MoonpieSaturday night. (Photo by Lowry Curley)

A krewe with a historyof irreverence

SEE MOON PIE, PAGE 15

strollers. They are Slidell’sonly marching krewe thathas non-motorized floats.

Started 30 years ago byCollins’ wife CharlotteLowrey Collins and PatHart, two artists, the kreweis dedicated to three things:Promotion of the arts, pro-motion of Olde Towne andpromotion of good humor.Collins stresses that thehumor is good clean familyhumor and there is nothingbawdy about their gentlesatire of everything MardiGras.

The name of the krewehas an interesting genesis.The founders wanted tocelebrate both the arts andthe Southern lifestyle. Sothey put Mona Lisa repre-senting the arts withMoonpie, the quintessen-tial southern dessert. Infact, the krewe’s famous,signature throw is themoonpie. Collins said thatlast year, the krewe threw35,000 moonpies.

Collins said that likeeverything else in thekrewe, the exact history ofMona Lisa/Moonpie is lostin the winds of time.

The 150 members of thisirreverent krewe will roll,er walk, at 7 p.m. FridayFeb. 25. The krewe lines upat the corner of Carey andRoberts streets in OldeTowne at 6 p.m. This year’s

theme is “Mona’s BookClub,” so expect a lot ofcomedy about great andbad literature. Collins saidthat he could not tell howmany non-motorized floatswill be in the parade. Thereare mini-krewes within theorganization, and each ofthese mini-krewes havebetween two to 20 people.

The number of floats foreach mini-krewe may beone or many floats.

“It’s sort of organizedchaos,” Collins said. He saidhe never knows how manyfloats are in the parade.

In keeping with theirchaos, King Moonpie andQueen Mona Lisa are cho-sen at a Twelfth Night

party, but they are notcrowned until the King andQueen’s Party Feb. 5.

Even though the krewemarches through OldeTowne, their route becomesa bit muddled at times, andthe grocery carts wanderthrough the old section ofSlidell wherever the moodstrikes.


» FROM PAGE 14

MOON PIE: Set to parade through Olde Towne Slidell Feb. 25

The Abita Springs PushMow parade, which willroll this year Feb. 26, is alaid-back, fun time, verylow-key with lots of “localcolor”. It is an informalevent, with homemadefloats, hand-drawn deco-rated wagons, embellished

golf carts, bedazzled fourwheelers, quirky marchinggroups, and flatbed trailerstransformed into rollingstatements with the theme“Oughta Be A Law”. Ledby the bag piping group“Kilts of Many Colours”and this year’s Grand

Marshall, Citizen of theYear Lynnette Soules, theparade provides a chance tocatch some throws in asmall-town atmosphere.

Museum Board mem-ber Bryan Gowlanddescribes the Push Mow as“anything goes, up to and

including walking downthe street pushing a lawnmower. Creative thinkersinterpret the themes and

Push MowFeb. 26 • 11 a.m. • Abita SpringsAnnual Abita parade set to roll

SEE PUSH MOW, PAGE 20


Krewe of Olympia • Feb. 26 • 6 p.m. • Covington

In 1965, a group offriends were having lunchat The Galley Restaurantacross from the CovingtonCourthouse. Among themwere Lieutenant ColonelEarl Wilson, Warren IllingSr., H. M. “Ollie” Olson, andJames Heinrich, a localinsurance agent. At thetime, Wilson was presidentof the Chamber ofCommerce.

It was shortly afterMardi Gras, and the con-versation turned to theLions Club parade onMardi Gras morning inCovington. Wilson com-mented that many St.Tammany residents in ruralareas probably had neverseen a “New Orleans style”parade, adding “wouldn’t itbe great to bring one to thecommunity?” By the end of

the meeting, plans wereunder way to form a carni-val organization inCovington. Each partici-pant in the project wasgiven the task of signing up25 members for the organi-zation. By the end of theweek, approximately 100enthusiastic members hadformed the Mystic Kreweof Olympia.

Their first ball was heldin 1966 in St. Paul School’sfield house. Olympia is theoldest club in St. Tammanyto present both a ball and aparade.

The krewe is made up of300 members, but themembership of the krewe isa closely guarded secretalong with the royalty andcourt until the ball is heldeach year. This year’s queenis Julia Champagne, but her

king will remain a secret. This year the parade will

roll through the streets ofdowntown Covington onFeb. 26 at 6 p.m.

The theme this year is“Olympia CelebratesLiteracy …. What NovelIdea.” There will be 16floats in this year’s parade.

There will be usual sig-nature krewe items thrownalong with special laurelwreaths, which were a bighit last year.

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalisewill ride as this year’s grandmarshal and members of

the military will be hon-ored, including representa-tives from Support Our WarHeroes.

Scalise to reign over Olympia

QUEEN JULIACHAMPAGNE


Krewe of Titans • Feb. 26 • 6:30 p.m. • Slidell

“We’re really excitedabout this,” said RobHiggins, spokesman for thenewest Carnival organiza-tion in Slidell, the Krewe ofTitans.

Formed just a year ago,this will be the Titans firstforay into the streets ofSlidell. They roll Feb. 26, at6:30 p.m. making them thecity’s second major nightparade next to the Krewe ofSelene. The 12 floats willroll into the streets startingat Fritchie Park down toPontchartrain Drive andfollow the traditional routeto Front Street and theneast on Gause Boulevardwhere it will disband atMidtown Square.

Besides the floats,Higgins said the ToplessBus Saints Krewe will comein from New Orleans to join

the merriment. All ofSlidell’s high schools willhave their marching bandsin the parades as well as allthe regular dance troupes,horses and Shriners.

Higgins said the biggestfloat, will be a double-deck-er with that will carry 40krewe members and theywill be entertained by a live

band as they roll.To celebrate their first

parade, the Krewe of Titanswill throw out clear acrylicmedallions with thekrewe’s logo that will lightup. There will also be spe-cial cups, tambourines thatlight up, foam batons, dou-bloons and of course, lotsand lots of beads.

King Titan I is RyanHiggins, and his lovelyQueen Titan I is KatlynChampagne.

Higgins said the queenwas elected earlier in theyear. Then at the Jan. 21Titan Ball, she drew outRyan Higgin’s name from ahat and he will reign overthe parade.

Slidell’s newest krewe to roll

The first king and queen of the Mystic Krewe of Tiatns poses with the krewe’sboard of directors. King Titan I, fourth from left, is Ryan Dixon Higgins and hisQueen Titan is Katelyn Ellizabeth Champagne. From left is Daniel Hamauei,Brian Trainor, Rob Higgins, King Titan I, Queen Titan I, George Wigginton, ChrisSturcken, Shannon Fethke, Greg Dicke and Brent McCoy. (Submitted Photo)

Krewe of Lyra • March 4 • Mandeville

The Krewe of Lyra, asocial and professional net-working organization ofwomen, will don their cos-tumes and stage a stellarinaugural parade of theirStargazing Society to followthe Original Krewe ofOrpheus March 4 inMandeville. Dr. GloriaCoker will light up the skyas the first ConstellationLyra, their monarch.

According to CindyCasanova, president of thenew group, there will be 12floats with about 100 mem-bers for the inaugural pro-cession, “Girls are StarStruck,” down Mandeville’susual parade route.

The Celestial Court com-posed of Spectacular Starsand the Constellation Lyraherself, will provide plentyof Mardi Gras merrimentfor the entire family. The

celestial court includesHaley Cocus, Laura Lan-caster, Sheldyn Turner,Simon Buras, Aiyana Mue-nala, Kylie Page Kennedy,Alicia Boczar, Dr. VictoriaWitt, Ashley Brumfield,Rosanne Boczar, SaraAdams, Kirsty Nunez andAlexis Lutz. Membership isby invitation only.

Officers include Gwen-del Booth, Judy Amedee,Toni McCord, Dr. VictoriaWitee, mary grace Knapp,Ruthanne Hilker, CindyCasanova and KirstyNunez.

In addition to revelry,this new krewe has a seri-ous side as well, devotingtheir fundraising, time andresources to support thosewith mental illness. Officersand krewe members assistin NAMI, the NationalAlliance on Mental Illness,

as well as other groups in St.Tammany devoted toaddressing mental illnessproblems in the parish andhopwe to positively impactthe community throughthis mission.

For more information,visit the Web site atwww.kreweoflyra.com

Lyra to follow Orpheus

CONSTELLATION LYRA,DR. GLORIA COKER


Krewe of DionysusFeb. 27 • 12:30 p.m. • Slidell

The 375 riders of theKrewe of Dionysus are stillgoing strong after 26 years,and they will roll this yearat 1 p.m. Feb. 27 followingthe traditional paraderoute, starting at FritchiePark, down Spartan Drive,up Pontchartrain Drive toFront Street and then easton Gause Boulevard wherethey will disband atMidtown Square.

Krewe spokesman MackWallace said there will be15 floats celebrating theirtheme “Dionysus Salutesthe Saints.”

Besides the normalthrows, krewe memberswill be tossing out the pop-

ular cloisonné beads, andFrisbees. There will also bemany high school marchingbands and dance troupesmarching along with thefloats.

The krewe held its ballJan. 22 and elected Kingand Queen Dionysus XXVI.This year, for the first timein the krewe’s history, theking and queen are fatherand daughter.

The king is Scott Duttonand the queen is his daugh-ter is Lauren Dutton.

The krewe also picks outa child in need in the com-munity, who will reign asthe Grand Marshall of theparade.

Dionysus marks 26th parade

march along the route thatis about a mile long.”

Push Mow originated asan idea discussed by agroup of friends at aTwelfth Night Party inAbita in the 1990s. Theidea took form when thelate Ann O’Brien and herhusband, UCM/Mystery

House curator John Preble,enlisted Michelle Kelseyand her “Queen Bees” toform a parade.” Preble lateroffered the parade to theAbita Springs TrailheadMuseum as a fundraisingvehicle, and it has expand-ed to include a popularafter party featuring“Benny Grunch and theBunch” and a “Push Mow

Café” with a variety of foodand drinks for sale. A vari-ety of prizes for creativitywill be awarded at the PushMow Party.

Registration will takeplace the day of the paradefrom 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

It cost $25 for groups offive or more to participateor $5 per person for smallergroups.

Line up will take place atthe field across from TownHall.

Drivers must present avalid driver’s license. Theparade will roll at 11 a.m.,and the after party willbegin at noon.

Admisstion to the partywill be $5 per person willchildren under 12 admittedfor free.

» FROM PAGE 15

PUSH MOW: Returns to Abita

Thirteen years ago, fiveprofessional women inSlidell decided the cityneeded a women’s krewecomprised of professionalwomen, and the Krewe ofSelene of born.

They petitioned the CityCouncil to get a permit toroll at night, and until thisyear were Slidell’s onlymajor krewe to roll at night.

The Krewe of Selene

rolls this year at 6:30 p.m.March 4.

Today the krewe has 500members. Selene is theGreek goddess of the moonand the companion ofEndymion, god of wine andmerriment.

This year, Queen SeleneXIII is Joyce Knight andher King Selene XIII is EricWilliams.

The dukes are Brian

Larsen Brian Vieages andCharles Williams.

There will be 25 floats,designed by Blaine Kern,including the king andqueen, plus many marchingbands and dancing clubs

Selene is known for itsunique throws and 2011 isno exception.

Krewe members will be

throwing, Selene lightedmedallions, a much soughtafter throw, and a lightedfleur-de-lis medallion.

The most unique throwfrom the floats are lightedboas.

To find out more aboutthe 13-year-old krewe theirWeb site is www.kreweof-selene.net.


Krewe of SeleneMarch 4 • 6:30 p.m. • Slidell

Selene rolls under the lights


The Original Krewe ofOrpheus was founded inApril 1987, a year after theKrewe of Eve, Mandeville’sonly women’s krewe hadsuccessfully made its debut.It parade for the first timeon the Friday night beforeMardi Gras in l988 withthirteen floats and as manylocal and regional marchingbands. The parade begins at7:30 p.m. and followsOrpheus’ traditional route.

The krewe has its ownsignature throw, the covet-ed pineloon, a pineconecovered in glitter and painatop a doubloon base. Thisyear select krewe memberswill also be throwing spe-cial light-up items.

The official call and

response of the heartykrewe is “Hail Orpheus,hail yes.”

The Krewe of Orpheus2010 will roll March 4 at 7p.m. The parade beginsnear the K-Mart shoppingcenter and will proceedwest on Louisiana Highway22. It turn onto WestCauseway Approach whereKing Orpheus XXIV andhis queen will exchangetoasts at the reviewingstand near MandevilleHigh School. The paradepasses under CausewayBoulevard and proceedsalong East CausewayApproach until it will reachour final destination nearGalvez Drive.

This year’s theme is

“Orpheus Springs theBlues”. There will be 22-24floats rolling in this year’sparade, which will includesome boarded by membersthe Krewe of Lyra’sStargazing Society, a newgroup krewe in Mandeville.

This year’s parade willalso include a special for-mer kings float, and manyof the floats will be double-deckers or tandems.

Grand Marshal will beVince Vance. Officers in-

clude President Lex Cairns,Vice President Craig Bou-dreaux, Secretary Eli Wil-son, Treasurer Paul Eysterand Captain Brett Lowe.

The krewe’s CoronationBall will be held Feb. 26 andis open to the public. CallBrett Lowe at 845-4653 forticket information.

The court, including thisyear’s king and queen, willbe officially presented andtheir names announced atthis event.

The community of Bushwill come together againthis year to celebrate carni-val with an old-time paradeMarch 5. Line-up begins at8 a.m. at the Fifth WardRecreation Center onWatts-Thomas Road. Theparade will roll at 9 a.m.,

beginning on Watts-Thomas Road and proceed-ing to Coward and Stickerroads. It will then turn ontoLouisiana Highway 41,where it will continue backto Watts-Thomas Road anddisband at the recreationcenter. Anyone and every-

one are invited to partici-pate in the parade. All any-one has to do is show up.Participants can ride in go-carts, golf carts or ATVs.Trucks pulling trailers orboats are also welcome aswell as motorcycles, horsesand lawn mowers.

Krewe of Orpheus • March 4 • 7 p.m. • Mandeville

Vince Vance rolls with Orpheus

Krewe of Bush • March 5 • 9 a.m. • Bush

Tchefuncte Feb. 27 • 2 p.m.Madisonville

The Krewe of Tchefuncteboat parade will float a weekearlier than in past years, inan attempted to increaseparticipation.

The theme for the paradewill be Cherished Cele-brations and Holidays. Toparticipate e-mail KellyTullier at [email protected] or call 845-1672.

It cost $100 to enter aboat.


Register now to ride in theCovington Lions Club parade by call-ing Lions Club President BillWoessner at 892-0788. The paradewill roll Mardi Gras day with thetheme “Love is a Many SpenderThing.” The Lions Club took over theparade, which began with a teacherdriving her students around in theback of a pick-up truck, more than 50years ago. Participation is free ofcharge, but participants must fill out

a form and obtain a rules sheet fromWoessner before they can join theparade. Line up will begin at 7:30a.m. and will end at 9:30 a.m. Theparade will leave out promptly at 10a.m. The Covington High SchoolMarching Lions will lead the paradethrough the streets of Covington.Lions Club President Donis Jenkinswill ride in the parade, and the nameof this year’s grand marshal is beingkept secret until closer to the parade.

The Mystic Krewe of Covington,one of the oldest carnival krewes inSt. Tammany, will roll Mardi GrasDay as usual following theCovington Lions Club parade in

downtown Covington. The LionsClub parade starts rolling at 10 a.m.

The Krewe of Covington will nothold a ball this year and will not haveany royalty.

The Krewe of Chahta will rollat 1 pm. on Mardi Gras day inLacombe.

This will be the 22st paradefor the group, which was formedby a group of residents lookingfor a way to bring the communi-ty together to celebrate MardiGras.

The krewe is actively seeking

new members. Anyone interest-ed, should call Float OrganizerMoselle Williams at 882-5298.

This year’s parade willinclude 14-15 floats, marchinggroups and various ATV, motor-cycles and horseback riders.

Pierre will serve as this year’sking and has asked to be referredto as King Tucker. His queen

will be Lois Cousin. Officers ofthe krewe include PresidentWalter Cousin, Vice PresidentPaulien Cousin, Sergeant-at-Arms Estervan Williams,Treasurer Yvonne Williams andSecretary Christina Rollins.Isreal Batiste Sr. and MoselleWilliams are this year’s captains.The krewe will be throwing sig-

nature cups.They will also host a ball on

March 5. Anyone who is inter-ested in attending should callPierre at 502-7740. The paradewill start at the fire station onU.S. Highway 190 and roll to 17thStreet, where it will proceed toSt. Mary Street. The parade willdisband at the Lacombe park.

The Krewe of Folsom will paradeMardi Gras day at 1:30 p.m. This year’stheme is “Looney Tunes.”

Call Debbie Wactor at 796-9833 foran application.

Cost to enter the parade are as fol-lows: $15 for a horse, wagon, ATV,motorcycle or golf cart; $20 for a car,truck or truck with trailer; and $35 forRV, full-sized float or semi-truck. Lineup will take place at 12:30 p.m. atMagnolia Park. Registration on the dayof the parade will cost an additional $5.

The parade will roll from the park upOlive Street to Louisiana Highway25,where it will travel north one blockto St. Claude Street, then to SabineStreet and Louisiana Highway 40,where it will travel back to La. 25 andturn onto Jackson before it will headback on Olive Street and end at thepark.

Trophies will be given for the bestdecorated entries, and entries will bejudge on originality, creativity andamount of color.

Mardi Gras Day • March 8Folsom parade

set to roll at 1:30 p.m.

Chahta to parade through streets of Lacombe

Lions Club parade kicksthings off in Covington

Mystic Krewe of Covington follows Lions Club

QUEEN LOIS COUSIN

Mardi Gras (2)

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