June 9, 20162 Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 2016 3Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 2016 • Volume 8 • Issue 5

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

Publisher/Executive EditorLauren Abate lauren@thejambalayanews.com

ContributorsLisa AddisonNicole Shuff ArabieGeorge ClineJulie Ann FayTrent GremillionRoger MillerJustin MorrisBrian PitreTerri Schlichenmeyer

Saleslauren@thejambalayanews.com

GraphicsArt/Production DirectorBurn Rourk

BusinessOffi ce ManagerJeanie Rourk

Legal Disclaimer

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

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

COVER16 Lake Charles Vapor: A Family Matter

REGULARS6 We Are SWLA!

11 Adoption Corner

11 Tips from Tip

12 Fishin’ Tales

14 This Functional Family

15 Soul Matters

FEATURES5 Get Storm Ready for Hurricane Season

8 Southwest Louisiana Archeology

16 Busting the Bedtime Blues

18 Go with Your Gut

THE SPICE OF SWLA22 Shrimp and Jazz Festival

25 Event Guide

27 Wayne Toups Interview 28 Family Fun Night at the Movies

29 Bookworm Sez…

30 Acting Up!

32 heART of SWLA

35 Nightlife Guide

38 Justin Morris’s Lake Charles

4 1 Funbolaya

42 Society Spice

8

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20

On Cover: The crew at Lake Charles Vapor

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June 9, 20164 Vol. 8 • No. 5

When I moved down here, I learned pretty quickly that every paradise has its serpent. I got rid of snow and sub-zero temperatures forever, but a semi-tropical environment comes with its own problems. I’m not talking about hur-ricanes. I’m talking about the enormous roaches that appear to be everywhere. They are in; they are out; they are all about. Kill one and its cousins show up an hour later. They don’t appear to have much of a life span; if you don’t kill them, they will die soon, regardless. But another will take its place. And another.

The other night, I was in the bathroom taking my contact lenses out. Behind my shoul-der in the mirror I saw some-thing big and ugly on the wall. You guessed it: Mr. Roach had come to pay me a visit.

There were two cats and a dog in the bedroom, but I knew that Cooper would not be of any help. Chihuahuas like to go after major prob-lems, like dinosaurs, zombies, and Donald Trump. A bug isn’t worth the effort. So I let sleep-ing dogs lie.

Cats, on the other hand, like small victims so they can chase and torment them, and a Gi-

ant Roach is just the ticket for their personality. So I enlisted the help of Crabcake and Cole-slaw, otherwise known as the Seafood Dinner. I knew they would not let me down.

I grabbed Cole, the more ra-tional of the duo, and brought him into the bathroom, where Mr. Roach was crazily zigzag-ging all over the wall. “Get it!” I ordered, pointing. Cole obediently went into hunter mode, crouching and then throwing himself at the wall. The roach fell off the wall and scuttled into the bedroom, with Cole in hot pursuit. Crab was sitting on the bureau on red alert. He’s kind of whacked and takes pleasure out of beat-ing up other cats and punching me in the eye in the middle of the night to feed him. He’s the one who would be called in if Cole couldn’t finish the job, kind of like the cleanup guy if he belonged to the Mob. So he let his little brother handle the roach under his watchful eye, ready to step in if necessary.

Well, the running and leap-ing and pursuing seemed to go on forever. And ever. That roach must have traveled over every inch of the room, and even landed on the bed for

a moment after it fell off the blinds. (Coop watched from the bed, mildly curious.)

I realized after awhile that this could go on indefinitely. Cole was having way too much fun. Crab occasionally swat-ted at the roach as it went by, clearly prolonging the inevitable. I needed to get to sleep. But I did NOT want to shut the lights off, in case Mr. Roach decided to crawl under the covers with me to escape his pursuers.

Finally, all was calm. Cole jumped into bed and sat on my head. Crab yawned and closed his eyes. Lights out.

The next morning, the first thing I saw was the carcass of Mr. Roach, legs in the air, on the floor at the foot of the bed. Whether he was actually killed or simply died from exhaus-tion, we will never know.

One down, one million to go…

Lauren Abate

The Night of the Giant Roach

June 9, 2016 5Vol. 8 • No. 5

Weather forecasts released this spring differ in their pre-dictions for the 2016 tropical storm season. Whether there are no storms, two storms or 10, Entergy Louisiana stands ready to restore power to customers if one strikes in the areas it serves.

Additionally, Entergy Louisi-ana off ers a variety of resources to help customers make emergency plans for the season, along with the tools needed to stay informed about outages and restoration activities when a storm occurs.

“Those of us who live in Gulf Coast states know that the chance of living through a hur-ricane strike in any given year is very real,” said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of customer service for Louisiana. “The areas we serve are prone to some of the most severe weather in the United States, from tornadoes to ice storms to hurricanes. That’s why we have a plan of continu-ous preparation, training and action that we call ‘Operation: Storm Ready.’”

Being storm ready starts with monitoring weather threats 24/7, 365 days a year. When a weather threat is confirmed, past expe-rience, weather forecasts and computer modeling help Entergy form early predictions regarding the number of power outages a storm could cause and how long restoration might take.

Those predictions include Entergy’s proven ability to bring in and sustain thousands of restoration workers from around the country. All of which is done with the safety of both workers and customers at the forefront of plans and actions. Assess-ing damage, deploying person-nel to the right place with the right materials and restoring power include processes Entergy continually plans and improves, thanks to its constant prepara-tion and training.

“All of these critical functions are demonstrated and evaluated during our annual storm exercise to ensure we are tested and pre-

pared to respond prior to hur-ricane season” said Dawsey. This year’s storm exercise took place on May 18.

As important as the actual restoration itself, however, is the company’s ability to keep customers informed.

“We have an app available

for either iPhone or Android products at entergy.com/app,” Dawsey said. “You can use this to report outages or check on the status of power on the street at your home or busi-ness.” Entergy’s View Outages site includes maps of the service area, showing where outages are

located and information about restoration progress.

“One of our more popular communications tools is our ability to send text messages about storm and restoration efforts,” Dawsey said. “You can sign up by texting REG to 368374.”

Entergy Gets Storm Ready for 2016 Hurricane Season

June 9, 20166 Vol. 8 • No. 5

LSBDC HonoredThe Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese

State University was awarded and recognized as the U.S. Small Business Administration SBDC Service Excellence and Innovation Center for 2016, which acknowledges it as the top SBDC in the state. The SBA honored the LSBDC at MSU at the Governor’s Mansion on May 4 during the Louisiana Small Business Awards Ceremony.

CITGO Employee Recognized for 60 Years of Service CITGO recently celebrated the 60-year

service anniversary of CITGO Payroll Supervisor Della Gary. Th e event included special accolades for Gary from CITGO senior executives and proclamations from elected offi cials, including the Governor’s Offi ce. A conference room in the CITGO Business Center was dedicated in Gary’s name during the program. Th e Iowa, LA, native began her career at the CITGO Lake Charles Refi nery as a mail clerk. Soon she was promoted to a payroll clerk where she manually imported information from time-

cards for an appropriate tally for employee paychecks. She was later promoted to payroll supervisor and has kept that position since then. She is currently the longest serving CITGO employee on record.

Imperial Pointe Plans RevealedDevelopers revealed plans for Imperial Pointe in Lake Charles, at

a news conference recently. Area government officials and business

leaders were in attendance to get the first look at the many different components, including the region’s first medical school planned for this 75-acre development. Located at the corner of Nelson Road and Imperial Pointe Blvd., Imperial Pointe was designed to be the ulti-mate village for healthy living.

Pepsi Co. Becomes Annual Corporate Sponsor of BBBSPepsi Co. of Lake Charles has formed a corporate partnership

with Big Brothers Big Sisters of SWLA. With a donation of $3,000, they will be event sponsors of both Bowl For Kids’ Sake and the an-nual golf tournament, to be held in the fall. In addition to the cash donation, Pepsi will be providing drinks to be given out at the events themselves All the funds donated are invested locally into programs run by BBBS-SWLA that impact children and families in SWLA.

L’Auberge Sponsors Family & Youth ConferenceFamily & Youth Counseling Agency received $5,000 from

L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles to sponsor and host the 18th Annual Connections Count Conference held February 17th and 18th and L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles. Over the years L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles has shown itself to be a gracious host and a generous friend to Family & Youth Counseling Agency.

Lake Charles CVB Earns Certifi cate of Excellence The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors

Bureau has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. The achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. Certificate of Ex-

L to R: SBA District Director Mike Ricks presents award to the LSBDC to Director Donna Little and Business Consultant Susan Thibodeaux.

Della Gary

Heather Heidebrink, Pepsi Co.; Heather Hohensee, Executive Director of BBBS of SWLA; Chris Swift, Pepsi Co. USM; Richard Struble; Sandra Thibodeaux and Aubrey Lewis.

L to R: Julio R. Galan, President/CEO of Family & Youth, Dr. Candis Carr, Sr. VP of Family & Youth, and Keith W. Henson, Sr. VP/GM of L’Auberge.

June 9, 2016 7Vol. 8 • No. 5

cellence recipients include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a quality customer experience. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a mini-mum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

Holmes Named WCCH Employee of the Month

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital recently named Penny Holmes, LPN, as its Employee of the Month for May 2016. As an LPN at OBG-1 of WCCH, Holmes works closely with health care provid-ers to ensure that each patient’s plan of care is followed through. She also plays a key role in educating patients on what to expect with their upcoming procedure or pregnancy. Holmes has served at WCCH for 20 years.

Magnolia LNG Supports Give a WishMagnolia LNG recently presented Give A Wish a $1,500 dona-

tion for the nonprofit organization to expand its services. Give A Wish raises money to grant wishes to children in Southwest Loui-siana and Southeast Texas that have life-threatening or terminal conditions. For more information about Give A Wish, visit www.Give-A-Wish.org. For more information on Magnolia LNG, visit www.MagnoliaLNG.com.

Lawrence David Joins BancorpSouth

BancorpSouth has announced Law-rence David has joined the Bank’s Lake Charles team as Vice President and Commercial Lender. David brings 20 years of banking experience to his new position at BancorpSouth. David attend-ed McNeese State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He is currently serving as Chairperson of Land Use Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments for

the city of Sulphur and also served as a past president of both the Lake Charles and Sulphur Kiwanis Clubs.

JD Bank Promotes WilliamsonJD Bank has promoted Robert Wil-

liamson to Sr. Vice President/Jeff Davis Market President. Williamson, who has served as the Vice President Commercial Lender of the McNeese branch office in Lake Charles, will now supervise the JD Bank locations in Jennings, Lake Arthur, Welsh and Iowa and will also continue his commercial lending responsibilities. Wil-liamson has over 16 years of experience in banking. He will be located at the JD Bank Jennings-Main St. branch office.

LA Law Enforcement Torch Run Raises Over $2,300 for Special Olympics

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff ’s Office hosted the 2016 LA Law Enforcement Torch Run with over 50 officers participating in the 5-mile run. Over $2,300 was raised for the LA Special Olympics. The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is an interna-tional series of torch relays, run by law enforcement officers leading up to each state or nation’s Special Olympic Summer Games.

Robert Williamson

Penny Holmes, LPN

L to R: Tammy Truax of Magnolia LNG with Michelle Clack and Paula Livingston of Give A Wish.

Lawrence DavidL to R: Jada LaBove, Phi Zeta Chi Omega Secretary and Catherine Reed,

Phi Zeta Chi Omega Community Service Director.

Chi Omega Sponsors Softball Touney for Make-A-WishChi Omega Phi Zeta Chapter McNeese State University spon-

sored the Make-A-Wish Classic Softball Tournament at McNeese State. The event raised funds for the sorority’s National Philan-thropy partner, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This is the second year for the successful fundraiser, which raised $10,418.78. Make-A-Wish is a volunteer organization that grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions.

June 9, 20168 Vol. 8 • No. 5

By Trent GremillionMost of the Native American artifacts discov-

ered in and around Southwest Louisiana can’t be found inside a museum display case. The truth is, the majority of the artifacts sit in private col-lections or are deposited in university storage boxes.

Shown here are some of the lesser known ar-chaeological discoveries of Calcasieu Parish. Each one of these artifacts tells a unique story about the indigenous tribes of Native Americans who once roamed the prairies and waterways of Southwest Louisiana. Artifacts are still wait-ing to be discovered; pottery shards often wash up along the ship channel, and arrowheads are still being found a places such as Bear Island and Rose Bluff.

Bird effi gy pipe, from the

Mathieson Alkali Collection.

Pottery ShardMarksville-style pottery shard found near the

Calcasieu River ship channel.

Lithic BladeThis large lithic (oversized Benton) blade was pulled from the

Calcasieu River by a shrimper’s net in 2010 on the ship channel just south of Lake Charles. The blade is believed to be 6,500 to 5,500 years old and was most likely deposited as part of a ceremo-nial cache. Back when the blade was used, the coastline would have been 100 miles south of its present day location. The item measures 25.1 centimeters in length, and its width ranges from 19 millimeters near the tip to 68 millimeters, then tapers down to 21 millimeters at the notch, or “tang.”

For more information, visit Southwest Louisiana Archaeology Facebook page.

(Photos courtesy of SWLArchaeology)

June 9, 2016 9Vol. 8 • No. 5

Pottery and BeadsGoose Creek/San Jacinto pottery

shards and European glass trade beads found at an Atakapa Indian camp on Bayou Guy, a small distributary of the Calcasieu River.

Where is the Pithon Coulee Dugout Canoe?

During construction of the Pithon Coulee pump station back in 1958, a cypress log dugout canoe was discovered some 14 feet below the lake bed in a “remarkable state of preservation.” Fast forward to May 1986 where an article from the LAS newsletters states that the Imperial Calcasieu Charter was trying to relocate a dugout canoe previously re-ported in Calcasieu River. The Calcasieu Imperial Museum has no information as to the whereabouts of this canoe.

Musical ArtistryEngraved Whooping Crane leg bones made into flutes.

June 9, 201610 Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 2016 11Vol. 8 • No. 5

Unsatisfactory SurveysCustomer satisfaction surveys can

be so aggravating. They usually offer some prize, such as a gift card or entry into a drawing that you have virtually no chance of winning, just to get your information to do further marketing. If you weren’t satisfied, you wouldn’t go back to that merchant anyway, and if you are satisfied, you will return. Do business one time and they want you to think you are the whole world to them, whereas they are trying to get you to return quicker than you normally would.

In reality, if you’ve bought several vehicles from a dealer and you had all the service work done there, wouldn’t you think they would know you’re satisfied? You eat regularly at a favorite restaurant and they want your opinion

on something but they rarely act upon it other than responding with some

boilerplate platitude email. Next time you get one of those surveys, think about why you would want to an-swer it. Many times, the questions

have forced answers designed to impress a concept upon you that

you might have issues with. Remember those surveys are just another marketing vehicle.

Government Out of Focus

I find it interesting that when different levels of government fall

short financially, the programs that are most visible, most widely desired and that concern the highest number of citizens are the very ones to be affected.

For example, the State of Louisiana is threatening the TOPS program, the one program that helps all worthy students to afford college and is univer-sally available to qualified high school graduates regardless of economic sta-tus. And of course, there are delays in processing everyday items, with con-cealed carry licenses among one of the latest due to lower funding of the state police (FYI: I am not a holder of or an applicant for a CCL).

Ironically, there seems to be ample funding for overtime off-duty police to check random drivers and passengers for seat belt violations or valid motor vehicle insurance proof (all in the uni-versally used excuse of “Public Safety”).

If government, at all levels, would eliminate the truly non-governmental functions and get back to their proper

focus, the revenue that excess spending has created would not be a problem. Sorry for the rant, I just had to get it off my chest.

Supermarket Roundup Still continuing in the season for nice

fresh fruit and veggies, we survey for some of those commonly purchased produce items. The survey was per-formed on Sunday, May 29 at the fol-lowing locations: Albertsons-Ryan Street, Market Basket-Lake Street, Kroger-McNeese Street and Walmart-Nelson Road. The prices reported here are the posted amounts on the shelf where the product was placed for sale.

Cherries, fresh, per pound: Albert-sons $5.99, Market Basket $3.99, Kro-ger (could not find), Walmart $4.48. Strawberries, fresh, per 16-ounce package: Albertsons $2.99, Market Basket $2.50 (2/$5), Kroger $1.99, Walmart $2.48.

Avocados, medium size, per each: Albertsons $.50 (2/$1), Market Basket $.78, Kroger $.69, Walmart $.50. Bananas, fresh, per pound: Albert-sons $.49, Market Basket $.49, Kroger $.49, Walmart $.54. Sweet corn, fresh, per ear: Albertsons $.34 (3/$1), Market Basket $.50 (4/$2), Kroger $.34 (6/$2.00), Walmart $.25. Asparagus, fresh, per pound: Al-bertsons $3.49, Market Basket $3.99, Kroger $2.99, Walmart $2.97.

Here is our latest charmer! Manning, a three-year-old Pit mix, is a heart stealer. Every week at PetsMart, he gets lots of attention, but no takers so far. This boy is exceptionally gentle and friendly. He will begin heartworm treatment in the next week or so but, with an understanding of limited activity, could be fostered through

his treatment. He is perfectly crate-trained (working on house training) but would prefer to be outside running. Very loyal, he would be a great addition to any family. He is overly curious about cats so he will have to

go to a cat-free household. A secure fence is a must for him. For more information about this boy, call or email: (337) 478-7294; lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check and home visit required prior to all adoptions. Hurry, Manning is waiting!

June 9, 201612 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Having made a comprehensive list of what I had to do to be ready to depart at 5:30 a.m., I checked it twice. I was also two Big Dog cups (six real cups) and four Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits into my morning when my phone rang. It had to be my podna Terry Labauve. We often chat at that ungodly hour. And since we’d been doing so for 30 years, I bellowed my usual response from our college frat days, “Lo, the day dawns!”

“The gates locked. Can’t get in,” my fly-fishing companion for the day Frank Conrad replied, ignoring my absurd-to-him morning dramatics.

“Be right there,” I stammered. Seems my list wasn’t so comprehensive, as the security gate that keeps us safe and the riff raff out (or maybe it’s us in and the safe folks out) was closed. Seems I’d omitted that little entrance matter from my exhaustive list. Oops.

We were headed to Jeannette Nel-son’s farm pond near Grand Lake to fly fish. Well, Frank was. As I’ve told you, I have the reaction time of a too-long-dead zombie, can still barely tie a fisherman’s knot, and despite lessons, I am also inept with a fly rod. I was using my idiot-proof Garcia Abu-matic spin-casting rig. Frank planned to fly fish Jeannette’s fresh water pond and then head to Jim Bel’s Hackberry Hunting & Fishing Lodge to try fly fishing his brackish marsh.

It was a glorious, clear, not rain-ing day for a change. We had a perfect windless light patchy fog morning that’s ideal for fly casting. I set up on

the concrete benches. I’d had a bad pain day the day before and the bench was perfect for me to sit on and cast across the lilies on top of the fool-proof brim bed. Frank was tied up ty-ing on just the right imitation minnow fly as the brim and bass were already striking the real minnows. Tying on a fly is an art form in itself. It always seems to take forever because it does, even if you’re an expert fly fisherman like Frank.

So there we were, finally set up with me casting a chartreuse beetle spin lure that had always been so produc-tive there. Frank was whipping his fly rod back and forth, setting up the perfect cast to the brim bed’s outer edge. I had already caught my first palm-sized brim by the time Frank had cast three times. We were there and it was on except the fish flipped the off switch. We cast and we cast and we cast. We worked the entirety of the two-acre farm pond with Frank changing from minnow to crawfish to bug-like flies with a net result of two fish. I managed to haul in two more brim. I’ve had two tales over the years filled with fish

from there. This time it was near pas rien. As Chief Dan George of Little Big Man and The Outlaw Josey Wales said, “Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it don’t.”

Surely Jim Bel’s marsh was where we ought to be. So we loaded up Frank’s truck and headed out to Hwy. 27 and then North to the interstate to travel the 45 minutes to what ought to be

Fly Fishing Tale Style

Photos by Chris Romero

Roger�with���a�flounder

June 9, 2016 13Vol. 8 • No. 5

brackish marsh. The water had to be moving through the culvert at Jim’s. If it ain’t, the fishing sucks. Fortunately it had been the monsoon season here lately. It had even rained the day before. Last time I was at Jim’s with my Sanford & Son tale, we’d torn up the floun-der. Besides, I was really interested in seeing if Frank could fly fish Jim’s with any success.

As befits two old coots, Frank and I discussed the “back in the day” days on our drive. He’d grown up in Vinton and I in Jen-nings. What prompted that chat was all the homes and apartments being built where rice fields once pre-vailed on our drive. We crossed the Ellender Bridge into LNG’s billion-dollar expansion where a marsh I once hunted as a college kid existed. Mostly, we chatted about hunting. Back then, if you wanted to hunt doves or ducks and geese, you just asked the farmer and more often than not you were allowed to. I reminisced about hunting near Lake

Arthur where PopPoo Poole used o set up a blind on the rice levee for his early teen grand-son Butch and myself. He’d brush up a spot for us where the ducks and geese were already con-centrated and haul us there at the crack of dawn in a cart he pulled be-hind his trac-tor. PopPoo would come back about an

hour or so latter to haul our limits and us to breakfast. Frank shared about hunting the Gray Estate and others areas south of Vinton and near Gum Cove virtually unchecked through his high school days. Same tale, just no breakfast.

But we’d come to fish and as we eased past the cul-vert, the water was pouring through. I grabbed my rod and reel and the Mark Fon-tenot-approved chartreuse Gulp lure and chunked her out near the flow’s end eddy. Meanwhile, Frank was engaged in yet another of those time-consuming fly lure ordeals. His choice was a truly shrimp-like fly that had to be a winner. Alas and alack, we cast and cast and cast on both sides of the culvert. Net result was the flounder you see pictured, one redfish and a speckled trout, all, of course, tossed back. But the magic in fishing is in the epiphany of being there, not the fish caught. Sure, catching a lot of fish is a hoot. But for Frank and I, the magic worked. It always does.

Shane,�Roger,��Jeanette�&�Glenn

��FlyFishermanFrank�Conrad

June 9, 201614 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Sometimes, words just aren’t enough when it comes to con-soling bereaved parents. Like when it comes to a 6-year-old dying of a massive heart attack while at a school fun day. Or, a 3-month-old passing away in his sleep. And, a 2-year-old los-ing her life after drowning over a holiday weekend. All of these tragic deaths took place in just the last couple of weeks in our city, but similar tragedies occur every day all over the world.

When horrific events such as these take place, especially when it involves children, we all strive to come up with the right words because that’s all that anyone can really do.

Words fail us but we try. Oh, how we try.

With social media, we can all even see what everyone else is saying to console the be-reaved families: “Heaven has gained another angel,” “Keep-ing you in our prayers,” “We can’t imagine your pain but our thoughts and prayers are with you,” “You’ll have an angel watching over you now,” “God must have needed your pre-cious baby.”

Even if our words are heart-felt, are they helpful? Or, do they bring more pain to the parents who have suffered the loss of their child or children? And, what exactly should you

say to a parent who has en-dured the ultimate heartbreak?

Peter and Deb Kulkkula, a couple who started “Bereaved Parents Awareness Month,” which is marked every July, share tips with others every chance they get. The couple struggled through the deaths of two sons. And Dr. Gordon Liv-ingston, a mental health pro-fessional and twice-bereaved parent, knows the issue all too well. He lost his 23-year-old son to suicide in the early ‘90s and then just a year later, his 6-year-old son died from leukemia.

“No one knows how to react,” Livingston shared in an interview with a parenting magazine. He said that when faced with such deep sorrow, people will often blurt out well-meaning but awkward, insensi-tive phrases like “He’s in a bet-ter place,” “Everything happens for a reason,” or “You’re lucky to have other children.”

Instead, Livingston and the Kulkkulas offer up these sug-gestions for what to do in those horribly sad situations where a child or a young person has passed away and you want to comfort the grieving parent or parents:

1. “Do you want to talk?” What works is your pres-

ence, so don’t shy away or feel that you aren’t needed. Your presence is a comfort during this time. Check in with them regularly so that they can talk if they want to.

2. “I remember the time when...”

Don’t avoid mentioning the child who has passed away. Instead, recall times that you shared or special moments that

the parents would enjoy hearing about. It will keep their memo-ries alive forever.

3. “I gave to his memorial fund.”

If there is a fund already started, contribute to it and let the parents know that you did so. If not, you can consider starting a memorial or scholar-ship fund and spreading the word so others can donate, too. The sense of remembrance goes a long way for bereaved parents.

4. “I mowed the lawn.” Whatever it is, do something

for the bereaved parents if pos-sible. Mow their lawn, pick up groceries, run some errands, offer to do laundry. The parents will be frozen in their grief for a while and may even forget to eat on a regular basis for a few days. Dropping off meals, grocer-ies, or offering to cook can be a huge help to those who are deal-ing with grief.

So, while words sometimes simply aren’t enough and none of us know exactly what to do or say, especially when a baby or a young child has suddenly passed away, we do our best and we try to console the ones who are in unimaginable pain.

And we really take to heart another phrase that is often ut-tered after a little one has died: “Hold your babies close!” I did. And I do. Because like other parents I know that “there, but for the grace of God, go I.”

Lisa Addison wrote her first short story when she was 7 years old and hasn’t stopped writing since. She has two young children, enjoys trying new recipes, and loves going on adventures with her kids. She blogs at: http://swlama-ma.wordpress.com.

When Words Aren’t Enough

June 9, 2016 15Vol. 8 • No. 5

There is no rulebook for this path of life.

In any situation you find yourself in, look for truth. Search for it deep in your heart. Let that truth flow, and you will see obstacles melt away. Open up the eyes of your heart to see past the fine line between love and fate. Love is just like a river. It doesn’t stop.

Why do we not love with our whole hearts anymore? We take the fruit and throw away the seeds. The seeds are actu-ally the heart if you cut the fruit open.

The heart is regarded as the center of our thoughts and emotions, especially love or compassion. It’s the vital part or essence: the heart of the matter. A conventional representation of a heart has two equal curves meeting at a point at the bottom and a cusp at the top. Notice that this de-scription resembles an apple.

Does it really matter what we pass down from other generations? Yes, it does. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. We are, in fact, an accu-mulation of all of it. It is our responsibility to not only teach our children, but to live and walk in the spirit of love. They may not remember all that you say, but they will surely re-member what you do.

Are you an apple tree? Does it have any fruit on it? Is the fruit ripe or rotten? Have mercy for all the broken-ness, battles and weapons that have been passed down and dumped on top of us. Give mercy towards one another, give them your love instead of more pain. What has been dumped on us is their pain, hurt, sadness and regrets. I am and will continue standing up and refusing to receive any more of it. I’m done.

We need to produce good fruit so we can say with joy, “Yes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25

What do you see when you look through the eyes of your heart? Do you see rotten cores from what was once healthy fruit? Is your fruit shiny and red or is it bruised and dull?

I used to be an apple tree with no fruit. I wasn’t a wom-an; I was more like a shadow. A woman with no form. What was wrong with me? I got up and discovered my strength and substance to give myself form. I found my paintbrush

and began painting new colors. I began seeing a new image of myself that was strong and was the essence of a beautiful new woman.

The death of who I once was gave birth to the true mean-ing of my life. As a little girl, I lived in a world where doors didn’t have to be locked, where I played safely and freely out-side. That little girl had been a participant of the only life she knew. Now, in her 40s, she has become an observer. She’s awakened from the daydream-ing. All of the cables and ropes appear to be untied and she’s been told, “Baby, get set, get ready, go.”

Your destiny might just drive up while you are stand-ing at an intersection on a hot summer day and casually ask, “Do you want to go for a ride?” Let that question sink in before you reply in the affirm-ative. Destiny may not appear in the form that you imagined. Always remember never to judge by appearances. Get past the exterior. You have to jump in and go for a ride with it.

To merely look is very different from seeing. One doesn’t truly see until one sees another true beauty.

Only by the grace of God have I been given the gifts to truly see and feel. How we feel is the most important aspect of being human, despite the way this world places so much importance upon appearance. I have changed, and by grace I was shown what damage I had

passed on to my children. I was shown everything because I was no longer a great exam-ple for them. I was shown the truth so that while my heart is still beating, I could change things and grow beautiful healthy fruit.

Violence brings about violence and a battered child grows into an abuser, waiting to do unto others what has been done to them. Why are we taught that pain and suffer-ing seem to be the only way to happiness? There are so many battered and hurt people in this world.

Remember not to ever give up. With God, all things are possible. God stepped in and said, “I want you to show me what you’ve got”. He allowed my mind to withdraw from reality so I was able to give Him my broken heart. I had nothing left to hold. His love became my parachute. All the words and prayers that I learned hit the ground. His love language became my new language of love.

Find your way so you can say what it is you have been put here to say. Burn brightly and shine. Allow the true essence of your beauty to be seen. You have a voice and now is the time to discover and use it.

To book a Soul Matters Ses-sion with Nicole Shuff Arabie, call (337) 540-6573. You can also go to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Declut-teringYourSoul

Love and Fate

June 9, 201616 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Even though falling asleep is a natural event, it can seem elusive. For the 60 million Americans who re-port having insomnia at some point in the year, trouble getting to sleep occurs far too often.

If chronic insomnia isn’t an issue, many people occasionally toss and turn during the night. Worrying about miss-ing sleep makes it even harder to relax and get the needed shut-eye.

Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night, according to Jana Kaim-al, MD, board certified sleep specialist and medical director of the Sleep Dis-order Center of Louisiana. “We all have bad nights every now and then, but when a pattern develops, it can be serious,” he said.

The effects of lack of sleep can be staggering. Driv-ing after being awake for 18 hours or more, otherwise known as drowsy driving, is often compared to driv-

ing while intoxicated because of the similarities in the lack of response time and slower reflexes. Difficulty

concentrating and processing infor-mation are also consequences of little sleep. “If someone is having trouble sleeping, it’s a problem that should be addressed,” said Dr. Kaimal.

So, now that the grave consequences are known, we try even harder to fall asleep which does nothing to help us relax. Fortunately, Dr. Kaimal has sev-eral tips that can help us drift away and get the sleep we need.

Give yourself an hour before bed to relax. Our “go, go, go” lifestyle tends to get in the way of that needed time to

wind down before hitting the pillow. “It can be tough to switch the ‘off ’ button at night,” said Dr. Kaimal. “We have to create a ‘slow down zone’ to give our minds the opportunity to prepare for sleep.” If possi-

S L E E P D I S O R D E R C E N T E R

Tips for Getting to Sleep

June 9, 2016 17Vol. 8 • No. 5

ble, give yourself a full hour to move at a slower pace. During this time, don’t engage in controversial con-versations, don’t tackle a difficult task for work, and don’t watch movies or TV shows that are particularly troubling. The goal is to quiet the mind. It’s a good opportunity to take a warm shower or bath, sip a non-caffeinated tea, or do some light reading. Also, turn off overhead lights and use as few lamps as possible.

Choose a realistic bedtime and stick with it. The body’s natural sleep-wake cycle is called the circadian rhythm. It works best when you go to bed and wake up at close to the same time each day. Being consist-ent will optimize the quality of sleep and help you feel refreshed and energized during the day.

Be mindful of foods and drinks. Coffee can take about eight hours to exit your system. Ideally, you should aim to have your last cup of coffee by early afternoon. Also, avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. Fatty foods present a challenge for your stomach, which will have to work hard during the night to digest the food. Spicy foods can cause heartburn, making you feel uncomfortable. When needed, a light snack of crackers and cheese or cereal are good options.

Cool it down. A temperature of between 65 and 72 degrees is optimum for sleeping, since your body sleeps more comfortably in a slightly cooler room than it does in a warm or overheated room. However, if the cooler temperature feels too chilly for you, try add-ing a blanket to your bed and wearing socks. These additional layers won’t interfere with your body’s perception of the cooler room, and they’ll keep you comfortable so you can get the benefits of the lower temperature. Of course, adjust the temperature to what you find most comfortable.

Avoid electronics in preparation for bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens from phones, tablets and computers is especially stimulating, causing interfer-ence in the body’s ability to fall asleep. “It’s recom-mended to not use those electronics for two hours before going to bed. It also helps to avoid them be-cause scrolling through Facebook, getting ideas from Pinterest, or checking the latest news can stimulate your mind, making it difficult to fall asleep,” said Dr. Kaimal.

Find your happy place. Often, the culprit for being wide awake is the difficulty in letting your mind relax. Thoughts of things that didn’t get accomplished, or worries about finances can keep people awake. Chan-nel your thoughts to something that makes you feel peaceful and content. Stay in that meditative state and let your mind relax. Eventually, you should begin to feel more calm and sleepy.

Hopefully, these techniques will encourage drowsi-ness at bedtime so you can get a full night’s sleep.

June 9, 201618 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Digestive health or gastroenterology may not be the branch of medicine that brings about the most glamorous mental pictures. Some people shy away from discussing matters of the bowel al-together, while some positively relish in it…we all know that guy – the over-sharer. No matter which category you fall into, digestion and issues thereof affect us all, and having a healthy working knowledge of the best practices for digestive health is an important step in keeping us all com-fortable and kicking for many years to come.

To understand a little more about the most common GI issues, their causes, and what we can do to keep everything, well…regular, we spoke with Dr. Sar-preet Basra, a gastroenterologist with Memorial Medical Group. He talked through some of the most common GI problems, some warning signs, the importance of screenings, and the importance of a healthy diet and exercise.

Colorectal Cancer ScreeningsOne of the most important things adults age

50+ can do for their health is to have regular colorectal cancer screenings. Colonoscopies are certainly the most common in this group of screenings, but the type of test you should have, as well as how often you should have it, and at what age you should begin, depend on several factors that are specific to your personal and fam-ily medical history.

“Colorectal cancer is the second most com-mon type of cancer in the state, and has the second highest mortality rates,” Dr. Basra said. “Both of those rates would drop significantly if more people received regular colorectal cancer screenings.”

Most commonly, men and women should have their first colonoscopy at age 50, and then again every 10 years moving forward. This changes, however, if there is a personal or family history.

“If a patient has an immediate family history of colorectal cancer, we like to start screening that patient 10 years prior to the family member’s age at diagnosis. So, if your family member was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 45, then we would like to begin screening that patient at age 35. This greatly increases the likelihood of finding any cancer or pre-cancerous polyps before they become life-threatening.”

During the colonoscopy, which is quite liter-ally a camera or scope exploring the colon and

rectum for any areas that could pose a poten-tial health risk, the gastroenterologist can even remove polyps and have them sent off to a lab to test for the presence of cancerous cells. The

patient is sedated during this process, so there is no pain, and can return home the same day.

“The main complaint we get from patients is about preparing for the colonoscopy rather than the procedure itself,” Dr. Basra said. “The prep must be done the day prior. The patient is not allowed to eat anything, and must drink all of a special laxative drink, which flushes out the system so that we are able to have the most unobstructed view during the screening. If the patient doesn’t follow the prep instruc-tions, then we must reschedule the screening. It’s certainly not the most comfortable couple of days, but it can save your life, so completing the prep as directed is of the utmost impor-tance.”

Heartburn and GERD (Gastroesophageal Refl ux Disease)

A common GI affliction, particularly in southern Louisiana with our spicy, deep fried and delicious culinary excess, is heartburn. Heartburn is when stomach acid splashes up into the esophagus and can cause a great deal of discomfort. When heartburn is a regular and severe occurrence, it is often diagnosed as GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).

“A number of things can cause heartburn or acid reflux, but some of the most common are pregnancy, smoking, hiatal hernia, being over-weight or obese and taking certain medications, but one of the main culprits is diet,” Dr. Basra said. “The diet of this area is inarguably tasty, but is certainly not helpful for anyone with heartburn or GERD. Some of the worst food triggers include spicy foods, fried or fatty foods, garlic, onion, tomato, alcohol and carbonated beverages – all things very common to Cajun cuisine and diet.”

“To treat heartburn, many over-the-counter medications and antacids work well,” Dr. Basra said. “Also, limiting or eliminating those foods that trigger the heartburn, losing a little weight, not going to bed with a full stomach, and eat-ing more slowly can help out as well. For severe, chronic heartburn or GERD, you should see your doctor, as a prescription medication or other treatment may be the best option for you.”

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is defined as

a disorder that affects the muscle contractions of the colon and does not have any known underly-ing causes. Common symptoms include diarrhea, constipation and abdominal discomfort.

“Since IBS is such a broad diagnosis that encompasses a number of symptoms, it’s not uncommon for many other conditions to be mis-diagnosed as IBS,” Dr. Basra said. “This is why it is important, when a patient comes in believ-

ing that he or she suffers from IBS, to rule out a number of other conditions that could be causing those symptoms including celiac disease, lactose intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease, or even in extreme cases, colorectal cancer.”

Because the IBS diagnosis is so broad, there is no one treatment path. The type of treatment each patient receives for IBS will depend upon his or her specific symptoms. If you have ongo-ing chronic diarrhea, constipation or abdominal discomfort, see your doctor for diagnosis and to find out the best course of treatment for you.

IBD (Infl ammatory Bowel Disease)Inflammatory bowel disease encompasses a

few more specific conditions, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and diverticulitis.

Crohn’s disease is when there is a chronic inflammation of any part of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation that causes sores or ulcers in the colon only. Diver-ticulitis is an inflammation or infection of the pouches that form the wall of the large intestine.

“Symptoms of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s in-clude weight loss, blood in stool, diarrhea, fever and loss of appetite. Diverticulitis symptoms are similar as well, but also include severe abdominal pain on the left side that is tender to the touch,” Dr. Basra said.

“Treatment and prevention for this group of inflammatory conditions greatly depends on the severity. In extreme cases, surgery can be required, but often close monitoring and medica-tions can treat the short term flare-ups. It is of the utmost importance that people with these conditions follow the diet advice given to them by their physician to help prevent long term problems as well,” he continued.

For chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, many doctors recommend a low residue diet, which eliminates foods that are high in fiber, spicy, or contain seeds or nuts.

The Best Solution The best way to achieve digestive health, and

good health in general, is through lifestyle. Exercise. With exercise, every little bit helps,

but even a moderate amount can greatly improve overall health and reduce risk of a number of nasty conditions and diseases.

Diet. A diet low in sugar and saturated fats is also a great way to get healthy, as well as only consuming alcohol in moderation. As long as no conditions exist that restrict eating this way, a diet full of lean proteins, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables is key to overall good health.

Not Smoking. One of the worst things you can do for your all parts of your body and livelihood is smoke. Don’t do it.

For more information on Dr. Basra, or on digestive health topics, visit lcmh.com/digestive-health.

L C M E M O R I A L H O S P I T A L

Go with Your Gut

Dr Sarpreet Basra

June 9, 2016 19Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 201620 Vol. 8 • No. 5

By Paul LevingstonFamily. It is what binds us. What gives

us strength. What molds us into the kind of people we aspire to be. With the pass-ing of my brother, Ken Levingston, this past April, I was reminded by my wife that there are multiple lessons that we can learn from any given experience. Any one of us, at any moment, is susceptible to taking that

final march into the unknown. This is what has inspired me to write this article

today. I truly hope it finds you and finds you well.

Growing up in Lake Charles in the late ‘70s and ‘80s were without a doubt one of the best times of my life. Being the young-est of three brothers, there were always new and interesting ways of being tortured by my older siblings. One such instance occurred when I was but six years old in my room with my Lincoln Logs (remember them?) when my middle brother, Ryan, entered my room to show me something he had discov-ered in the nearby woods.

Obviously excited about my older broth-er’s interest in me, I happily asked what it

was. No sooner did those words leave my mouth when I noticed a rather large object hurtling towards me through the air. Fear, dread, and a general

panic swept over me as I realized what this object was: a very large and very unfriendly-looking black

snake. Blood-curdling screams and absolute panic ensued, but all I could hear was the God-awful howls and laughter from my be-loved brother and his ridiculous friends.

Now tangled up completely by this serpent from hell, I began to notice something very odd. The snake had almost a rubbery consistency to it and made no movements whatso-ever. It was then that I realized that this creature would not be my physical undoing but would certainly be a source of years of scorn and ridicule. I guess that’s what happens when you freak out after a rub-ber snake is thrown at you.

As you can prob-

ably imagine, The Snake Incident, as it would come to be called, was now permanently imprinted into my psyche from that point forward. But as the summer of ’85 was now upon us, I had bigger fish to fry. Swimming at the Country Club on Saturday afternoons was one of my most cherished events. For a seven-year-old in 97-degree SWLA weather, there was nothing sweeter. Ken, Ryan, and myself happily jumped in the water to do away with the day. Given the six and seven year difference in age between myself and my brothers, they understandably could not be bothered to play with me in the shallow end. I understood this unwritten rule com-pletely as it applied to most other activities as well. No matter, I would enjoy my frivol-ity nonetheless.

About 30 minutes into my solitary play day, I noticed a hulking and menacing fig-ure approaching me from the deep end. It seemed as if it was on a Beeline just for me. I then realized it was a HUGE 5th grader from my school with whom I’d had words with that week on the playground. Luckily for me at that time, a teacher had stepped in to prevent my inevitable demise. This time, however, there was no teacher, only a distracted lifeguard whose attention seemed to be more focused on a conversation with a bikini-clad young lady than to actually be guarding anyone’s life – most importantly mine. This was quite unfortunate for me.

Before I could make a break, I was already in the clutches of my schoolyard bully, being tossed, dunked, and thrown about. After what seemed like an eternity, this hor-rendous assault upon my person suddenly ceased. Water flooding my nose and throat and chlorine stinging my eyes, I was truly defenseless. It was then, through my chlo-rine-soaked eyes, that I witnessed my broth-er Ryan, who you will recall was responsible for The Snake Incident, giving my 5th grade attacker a little 7th grade justice. It was then that I realized the true power of loyalty and family. Oh, and by the way, I never seemed to have any further altercations with the bully from that point forward.

My oldest brother Ken was truly the rock star of the family. By the time he was 11 years old, he already was beating on his drums and ripping the chords on his Fender guitar. If you’re over the age of 30, you may

June 9, 2016 21Vol. 8 • No. 5

recall the rock tunes of the day. AC/DC, Ozzy, Quiet Riot and others were the rock gods and Ken was determined to play along to his heroes at full volume. As you can imagine, this did not go over well with my mother who belonged to the generation of Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. While considered somewhat edgy at the time, they paled in comparison to Ken’s favorite musical icons.

I refer to this time as the Great Rock Poster Tear Down of ’85. By the title of this aberration of history, I’m sure you can guess what occurred. All of Ken’s laminated rock ‘n’ roll heroes were cer-emoniously ripped from his walls and disposed of accordingly without mercy. Chaos ensued. Mother vs. Son, Old vs. Young, God vs. The Devil. Despite this cultural clash of generations, Ken and Mom came to an eventual cease-fire. I can vividly remember the relief I felt during the calm after the storm. Crisis, temporarily, averted.

Moving forward 28 years, my brothers and I were still extremely close. At this point, however, all three of us were still searching for our little niche in life. We had been in such professions as finance, stockbroking, advertising, bartending, you name it, we attempted it. That’s not to say that each of us didn’t have suc-cess. We just felt that we were working

to live and not getting true enjoyment out of what we were doing. That’s when Ken had one of his “bright” ideas. I put quotes around “bright” because, you see, not all of Ken’s ideas could be character-ized as bright. This, however, seemed to be different.

Lake Charles Vapor1413 W. Prien Lake RoadLake Charles, LA 70601 337.564.6895vaporroomLC@gmail.com

Lake Charles Vapor Westside3921 Maplewood DriveSulphur, LA 70663337.888.3112 lcvnorthside@gmail.com

The Birth of the VaporAll three of us had been smokers since we were 15 years old. We all knew

the risks but had pretty much settled on the fact that it was an addiction that we could not conquer. That was until Ken heard about a relatively new product called e-cigarettes. The idea was that you could still consume small quantities of nicotine without the other extremely harmful chemicals, toxins, and poisons that are in traditional cigarettes. Ken ordered all of us our starter kits that day. We all received them and were completely stunned at the effectiveness of this amazing product. All three of us simultaneously quit smoking, followed by our wives, friends, and other family members. Our passion was now discovered. On August 1, 2013, Lake Charles Vapor was born.

For almost three years now, Lake Charles Vapor has helped literally thou-sands of people in the Lake Area finally kick that toxic tobacco habit. Every single day, I hear the success stories from people who are genuinely amazed with how they were able to put down that cancer-causing traditional cigarette and replace it with the e-cigarette alternative. We have been so proud to be a part of that. We have even been able to expand recently to Sulphur as Lake Charles Vapor Westside to better serve ALL of Southwest Louisiana, making us one of the biggest e-cigarette retailers in the state Our entire Lake Charles Vapor and Lake Charles Vapor Westside family invite you to make the switch today to better your health and your life. Because after all, what’s family for?

June 9, 201622 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Here in Southwest Louisiana, we have a big appetite for good eats and good music, which is why Lake Charles is pleased to announce the 2nd An-nual Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Festival to be held on Saturday, June 25, inside the Exhibition Hall at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

This family affair, com-plete with marketplace vendors, offers arts and crafts for all ages and live jazz music, accompanied by the finest cooking from your favorite food trucks in Southwest Louisiana. Admission is only $5

for adults and $2 for children 12 and under.

Festival sponsor Rikenjaks Brewing Company will host a Media Night on Thursday, June 16, at 7 p.m. that is open to the public and features the musical talent of local legendary pianist, Chester Daigle and his son, jazz violin-ist Jairus Daigle. The

Festival, hosted by Tim Prater, will be followed by a special VIP event, “Jazz After Dark,” with musical performances by two-time Grammy finalist

Mickey Smith, Jr., the renowned David L. Harris Quartet, head-liner Jeremy Benoit and more. “Jazz After Dark” will be emceed by KPLC’s Mari Wil-son and co-host Amie Herbert.

“The Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Fest is fast becoming a respected hub for the gathering place for great local and renowned artists,

paying respect to all the many branches and lega-cies of jazz,” said festival co-director, Shari Davis. “This is definitely the place to go if you are ei-ther completely inexperi-enced with jazz and want to learn more, or if you’re a seasoned expert. There is something for every-one!

Join the fun and excite-ment at the Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Festival to enjoy our unique and diverse cultures. “Let’s awaken a love for the evolving jazz genre, in-cluding blues, modern or smooth jazz, the speedy, hard-hitting rhythms of be-bop, and the earthy vibes of soul jazz,” Davis said.

For more info on the Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Festival, visit www.swlashrimpNjazzfest.com or contact Shari Davis at (337) 309-2712.

Second Annual Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Festival June 25

G O O D E A T S A N D G O O D M U S I C

June 9, 201624 Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 2016 25Vol. 8 • No. 5

Catch a Concert Series Mondays through June 27

Enjoy a beautiful sunset by the lakefront while listening to a musical performance from the Lake Charles Community Band every Monday in June through the 27th. Remember to bring your lawn chairs. Picnics welcome. In case of rain, the concert will be held inside the Civic Center on 2nd floor mezzanine. Starts at 7 p.m. Free admission. (337) 825-6864.

Church of the Good Shepherd Music Festival Tuesdays through June 28

The 29th annual Summer Music Festival at the Church of the Good Shepherd, which features an eclectic blend of music, will take place at 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday in June at the church, 715 Kirkman Street. Tickets are $10 at the door and children under the age of 12 are admitted free. A reception will follow each concert.

Art in the Park June 12Graywood is offering “Art in the Park” on June 12 from 2-5 p.m.

This is a free event for local artists to display and sell their art to the public as well as residents. There will be a children’s area to create their own piece of art along with a reading from local author, Eloise Huber. Gray Plantation will have light appetizers and drinks for sale, along with Pops and Rockets. This is a FREE family friendly event to admire, enjoy and support the arts.

35 Years of Victor Monsour Opens June 17Victor Monsour is a name associated with excellence in photog-

raphy and generous philanthropy. In the spring of 2014, Victor was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and had to make many changes in his life, including the photography business that he spent 35 years creating. “35 Years of Victor Monsour” is set to open on June 17, with an opening reception from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Historic City Hall on the 2nd floor. The reception will include 30 of Victor’s pieces throughout the years, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, award presenta-tion, silent auction, and guest speakers.

Louisiana Back Porch June 24-26Louisiana Back Porch, a new play-series will premiere at the

Lake Charles Little Theatre beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday June 24, and Saturday June 25. There will be a Sunday Matinee at 2 p.m. on June 26. The series, developed by local historian and writ-er, Adley Cormier, focuses on the relationships of people in South Louisiana whose lives were altered by the hurricane year of 2005, and how people cope with change. Lake Charles Little Theater is located at 813 Enterprise. Tickets are available at the door. www.thelclt.com.

BayouCon 2016 June 24-26BayouCon celebrates its 8th year with a spectacular show in

store for everyone June 24-26 at the West Cal event center. SW-LA’s premiere fan-produced Comic and Pop Culture Convention is excited to welcome Taylor Gray from Star Wars Rebels as the main guest of honor, along with Bobby Clark of Star Trek, Robert Axelrod of Power Rangers, Ann Mahoney of The Walking Dead, and Scott L. Schwartz. Three days packed full of events you won’t want to miss! www.bayoucon.net.

Thursday, June 9: Kid’s Choice

This is a workshop to use extra projects that were leftovers from previous workshops and weekly projects. Projects will be available from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on a

first-come first-served basis. Limit one project per child.

Friday, June 10: Meet the Dr. Dogs

Meet the Dr. Dogs Pet Therapy Team! These therapy dogs have wonderful temperaments that

provide comfort and affection to people in stressful situations. The group volunteers at retirement and

nursing homes, hospitals, McNeese State University, Calcasieu Parish schools, counseling centers and

various community events. 11 a.m.

Saturday, June 11: Sasol’s Second Saturday Science Show

Sasol continues its 5S Project with “Acids and Bases” at 11:30 a.m. Lisa Car-rizales and Surit Kandel will use red cab-bage as an indicator to tell the differences between acidic and basic liquids. Kids will also make a dry “sherbet” that activates

when placed on a person’s tongue!

Tuesday, June 14: Cool and Crafty Tuesday

Kona Ice will be here from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Paint a wooden wiggly fish in the ArtSpace Workshop. Classes

begin at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. and are limited to 20 children, ages 4 and up.

Thursday, June 16:

Story Time with Tommie TownsleyJoin children’s author and book publisher Tommie

Townsley for story time at 11:30 a.m.

Saturday, June 18: Building with PlaydoughBuild something fun using Playdough from 10:30

a.m.-12 p.m. in the ArtSpace.

Tuesday, June 21: Cool and Crafty TuesdayKona Ice will be here from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Create

your own fish using tissue paper, foil and a paper plate

in the ArtSpace Workshop. Classes begin at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. and are limited to 20 children, ages 3 and up.

Thursday, June 23: Mad Hatter Science

Join the Mad Hatter, Joan Valle Rettke, at 11:30 a.m. for “Beach Science!” This program will consist

of hands-on activities, which allow children to explore physical phenomena observed at the beach includ-

ing density of salt water compared to fresh water, the nature of water waves, and sea creatures that glow in

the dark and the importance of wearing sunscreen. The program is limited to 20 children, ages 3 and up.

Saturday, June 25: Kids Choice

This is a workshop to use extra projects that were leftovers from previous workshops and weekly projects. Projects will be available from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on a

first-come first-served basis. Limit one project per child.

Tuesday, June 28: Cool and Crafty TuesdayKona Ice will be here from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Kids will

make a patriotic hat in the ArtSpace Workshop. Classes begin at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. and are limited to 25

children, ages 2 and up.

Thursday, June 30: Get Movin’ AnytimeJoin Bruce Broussard with Anytime Fitness at 11:30

a.m. and get moving! Kids of all ages will enjoy this workout program.

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad Street, downtown Lake Charles. Museum hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $8.50 for children and adults. Admission applies to all workshops and activities. Call (337) 433-9420 or visit www.swlakids.org.

June 9, 201626 Vol. 8 • No. 5

LC Men’s Golf Challenge June 24-26

Mallard Cove Golf Course will host the 39th Annual Lake Charles Men’s City Golf Championship sponsored by IBERIABANK June 24-26. The entry fee is $125 and entry forms can be picked up at all IBERIABANK branch locations in Calcasieu Parish and at Mallard Cove Golf Course. The entry deadline is June 17 at 5 p.m. or after the first 144 paid entries have been received. (337) 491-1204.

Gulf Coast Shrimp & Jazz Festival June 25 (Media Night June 16)

This family affair, complete with marketplace vendors, offers arts and crafts for all ages and live jazz music, accompanied by the finest cooking from your favorite food trucks in Southwest Louisi-ana. Admission is only $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 and un-der at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Rikenjaks Brewing Company will host a Media Night on Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. that is open to the public and features the musical talent of local legendary pianist, Chester Daigle and his son, jazz violinist Jairus Daigle. The Festival, hosted by Tim Prater, will be followed by a special VIP event, “Jazz After Dark. For more info, go to www.swlashrimpN-jazzfest.com or contact Shari Davis at (337) 309-2712.

Patriot’s Ball July 2Mayor Randy Roach and the City of Lake Charles Mayor’s Armed

Forces Commission (MAFC) will host the Tenth Annual Red, White, Blue, and You Patriot’s Ball on Saturday, July 2, at the Lake Charles Civic Center Contraband Room, 900 Lakeshore Drive. A so-cial half-hour will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office, mafc.ticketleap.com or at the USS ORLECK Naval Museum, 604 N. Enterprise Blvd., info@orleck.org.

Cajun Food & Music Festival July 15-16

The 29th annual Cajun Food and Music Festival will be held July 15 - 16 at the Burton Coliseum Complex. Enjoy the Cajun tradi-tions and heritage through music, dancing, and food, including jambalaya, gumbo, cracklins and more, along with raffles, a live auction, arts and crafts booths, cakewalks and kids’ games. The festival will end with a free Cajun mass on Sunday morning at the CFMA building located at 3481 E. Prien Lake Road.

Salty Catch Fishing Rodeo July 21-24The 2016 Salty Catch Fishing Rodeo partners with Golden Nugget

Lake Charles to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with an event held at Golden Nugget Beach Thursday-Sunday, July 21-24 with cash prizes worth over five hundred dollars for participants of every age. The weekend-long event will launch on Thursday, July 21, with the Captain’s Kick-off Party at 6 p.m., with live music by the Kadillacs, followed by the Miss Salty Catch Bikini Contest! The awards ceremony is Sunday at 3 p.m., which will conclude the tournament. Ticket locations and all tournament information are listed online at www.saltycatch.com.For more info on how to regis-ter or how you can become a sponsor, call (337) 802-5525 or email saltycatchfishingrodeo@gmail.com.

June 9-12 Calcasieu Kennel Club Dog Show

June 10 Lords Outreach Graduation

June 12 Cathy Kurth Dance Recital

WWE LIVE

June 13 Catch a Concert

June 18 2016 First Annual Dance Premiere Bring it Home Music Festival

June 20 Catch a Concert

June 22 114th Law Enforcement Graduation

June 25 SWLA Shrimp and Jazz Festival

Parkinson’s Heath Fair June 27 Catch A Concert

June 29 Townsquare Media Job Fair

June 9, 2016 27Vol. 8 • No. 5

By Justin MorrisFor over 30 years, Wayne Toups has been a

fi xture of South Louisiana music and an icon at large. From tours with legends like Carole King to performances at the Super Bowl, this Crowley native has done what many musi-cians have not and he continues to be pas-sionate about his music and fans to this very day.

At 57, Toups is doing anything but slowing down. With a brand-new record and a new son that just arrived in January, the creator of Zydecajun, as it has come to be known, still carries an enthusiasm that resembles a younger man that surely has had a great deal to do with his success over the years.

For this sense of sound and place, I caught up with “Le Boss” backstage at Delta Downs before his June 4 show to a packed house of eager fans waiting anxiously to tap some toes or to get out for a spin on the dance fl oor. Delta’s Director of Entertainment, Nora Papillion, was kind enough to set things up, bringing me back to be greeted by a welcom-ing smile surrounded by a grey beard lurking underneath a fl at-brimmed cream-colored hat. So we sat in the warm glow of the dress-ing room lights talking about just who and what Wayne Toups is really all about.

JAM: Man, 30 years huh?Wayne Toups: Oh yeah, man (laughs).

I’ve been playing the accordion since ‘72, playing music since ‘75 and doing it on a professional level since ‘84.

JAM: Th at’s a lot of sights seen and artists worked with! Musically and profes-sionally, what are the biggest diff erences between then and now?

WT: You know, you try to continue to evolve as an artist. Of course, being raised poor in south “Crolly,” it defi nitely gave me an opportunity to see the world. I’ve been to over 20 countries, toured with Carole King, opened up for Ray Charles and we’ve played the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festi-val for, what, 27? 28 years? It’s been a great journey. We’ve had our ups and we’ve had our downs but it comes with the business. I’ve just released my 16th or 17th record, so the dream continues.

JAM: Let’s talk about that record. Looks like you had some of those old friends come back and help you with that.

WT: Oh yeah. Well, I’ve been friends with Leroy Parnell for a long time and I found out that Kix Brooks was a fan and it was just a great opportunity to ask those guys to in-dulge me a bit and help with a special record that I’ve been working on for three years. I did everything I could with it, but I needed a producer to, you know, do what produc-ers do, and James Stroud was kind enough to lend his hand and his ear... and it turned out great. I’m really proud of it.

JAM: So it’s out now?WT: Yep. Th e release date was April 29.

I signed with Malaco Music Group out of Jackson, Mississippi and this is a new jour-ney for us and for them guys. Th ey’ve never had an artist quite like me. Th ey’ve always done blues and gospel, but they’re excited about it. It’s only been out a month, but two days ago “A Good One,” our fi rst release, was added to 140 stations in France (laughs).

JAM: You know, I’ve had Jo-El Sonnier tell me about some of the international love he’s seen for Louisiana music from non-Louisiana places like Switzerland, even.

WT: Well, music is the universal language. I made my fi rst trip to Canada in ‘86 but in ‘87 we did a tour to Brazil, Bolivia, Guate-mala, El Salvador, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay... and the response was amazing! Th ey loved the groove of the music. In ‘91 we went to Southeast Asia and played in Th ailand, Sin-gapore, New Zealand, Th e Fiji Islands and Sri Lanka. Th ey just loved us. It’s that universal language. We all speak it, maybe in diff erent ways, but we all understand the same thing. It makes us feel good. Th at passion for the music.. It just comes across.

JAM: And for something a little diff er-ent, you reached a bit out of your norm with something called Th e Band Courtbouillon and it sounds like that served you well.

WT: I had an idea about some kind of side project. We were playing one night at Cafe Des Amis in Breaux Bridge for Wilson Savoy’s birthday. And Steve Riley played

acoustic guitar and Wilson played fi ddle and Eric Frye played upright bass. I told them that I was thinking about doing something called Courtbouillon. Next thing, we were in the studio and had a great time on the project. In December, we went on my cruise that we do every couple of years and I’m not thinking anything. It was the furthest thing from my mind. We get back into port and I turn my phone back on and it just blows up. And I look at my wife and I say “Mais, we been nominated for a Grammy (laughs). So I called Norman (Land) and told him that if we had anything booked for Mardi Gras week-end, kill it! But keep the Monday at Cajun Field ‘cause we’ll be back for that (laughs). But we went. I was the only one from the band that went, but those guys, they’d been nominated, like, four times each or some-thing. Th is was my fi rst one and, you know, I didn’t think that we would actually win. Being nominated alone is as much as I could have ever even hoped for, but when they said that name, man it was such an amazing feel-ing. It’s like winning the MVP of the Super Bowl. It may never happen again and many musicians will never even get that.

JAM: So what’s the next step in your journey?

WT: I continue to live the dream. What is the dream? We don’t know. I mean, I won a Grammy, how far can you go? (laughs). But we’re going to continue to make songs that please not only us, but our fans, and just continue to live the dream of playing music and having fun and putting smiles on people’s faces. We’re just gonna keep chipping at this sculpture and one day it’s gonna make a face.

Th e new album Wayne Toups is available on iTunes, Google Play Store and on Ama-zon. Visit www.waynetoups.com for more information.

A big thanks to Wayne, Nora Papillion and all the good folk at Delta Downs for helping put this together. Sometimes, the best part of a show is the place you see it and who you see it with. A tip of the hat to DD for creating such a place and to Wayne Toups for giving us the sounds we want to hear. I look forward to doing it again with you all real soon.

June 9, 201628 Vol. 8 • No. 5

This action movie needs some background: There are a LOT of people with super powers in this movie. OK. Let’s go.

Like every movie about mod-ern times, Apocalypse begins cen-turies ago. In ancient Egypt, our future villain is worshiped as an Egyptian god, and he’s old. Dur-ing an opening scene worthy of Th e Ten Commandments, there’s a big parade as our bad guy goes to a special pyramid to be trans-ferred to a younger man’s body.

Due to circumstances beyond his control (spoiler: he’s not really a god, he’s a mutant) our villain, who ends up being called Apocalypse, is buried under rock for thousands of years.

Fast forward to the 1980s, when our story takes place, and mutants have proliferated. They’re everywhere, but mostly in hiding from nervous humans. Our mutant heroes are mostly centered at Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Children. That’s right; our X-Men are mostly high-schoolers and young adults. It turns out this age group has more powers, like draw-ing big box office receipts, than older mutants.

You can guess what happens. Apocalypse, buried in Egypt, wakes up and decides to take over the world. He goes aft er a few other handpicked mutants and increases their powers. Th ey’ll be his four horsemen of the Apoca-lypse, get it? (Never mind the the-ology.) One of them is a former X-Man villain, Magneto.

Everything about the X-Men is complicated, and Magneto is no exception. Humans have de-

stroyed his family, and he’s ready for revenge. (I believe this is the third time this has happened.)

So our good mutants, many still learning to control their powers, including how get a date, finally put their complicated lives in the background and go to battle to save the world.

How can a movie with such a worn-out comic book plot be any good? As usual, it’s all

in the details. First of all, it’s a comic book, stupid! And you won’t forget that, with backsto-ries galore and geek fulfillment everywhere, from special ef-fects to nerdy heroes and glam-orous heroines to cool humor. And cool hairstyles.

But to me, the star of the show was the villain, Apoca-lypse. Played by Oscar Isaac, he looks like he was drawn by comic great Jack Kirby himself. Since he thinks he’s a god, he can use corny comic dialogue and it just sounds perfect. (“Come, my child. Learn how much power is within you. Rule with me.”) Then there’s Quicksilver, one of our good guys, so fast that he can practically make time stand still, saving tons of people dur-ing explosions, while he stops to have a soda.

Watching the X-Men is like being young again, except now you’re a muscular cool mutant with your own unique pow-ers. And the thing about the mostly young male audience I

was in, they were really into it, practically swooning whenever a secret identity or new hairdo was about to be revealed.

For the regular moviegoers, there are enough twists and turns and family drama and romantic subplots to keep you from worrying about following everything. Just pick a mutant, any mutant, and enjoy them. Because these are really like-able characters. They’re all hip and young and have that energy and optimism to win you over. Even if they have mostly blue skin. You just know they’ll overcome any obstacle and save the world. Somehow.

X-Men Apocalypse is rated a strong PG-13, for persistent violence, including blood, spat-tered blood, screaming, dying soldiers, decapitation, and death by magnetism. Please don’t bring any small kids, or older kids that don’t have a history of relentless video game experience. And stay for the after credits bonus scene. Enjoy!

X-Men: Apocalypse (Marvel, 2016)

June 9, 2016 29Vol. 8 • No. 5

“Just wait ‘til you’re older!” Oh, how you hate hearing

that! Wait ‘til you’re grown. You need to get bigger. You can’t do that now, you’re too little. But why not? Why can’t you start dreaming of someday right now, while you’re still a kid? As you’ll see in the new book Trom-bone Shorty by Troy “Trom-bone Shorty” Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, dreams can come true at any age.

In the New Orleans neigh-borhood called Tremé, “you could hear the music floating in the air” day and night. The house where Troy Andrews grew up was filled with mu-sic, too, and Troy loved the trombone. He hoped to be a musician some day.

Each year, when Mardi Gras rolled through Tremé, Troy and his neighbors would dance along with the bands in the parades. Man, that was fun! There were balloons, beads, and music, which “made everyone forget about their troubles for a little while.”

That also made Troy want to become a musician even more, so he and his friends created instruments from odds and ends they found around Tremé; Troy was happy to find a beat-up trombone, and he fixed it up good. That’s the best part of being a musician: you can make music from almost anything.

So he was ready. At the next parade, he grabbed his trombone, jumped right in, and started marching with the band. Because he was a little guy and the trombone is a big instrument, Troy’s brother gave Troy the nick-name of “Trombone Shorty,” which is what everybody called him from then on.

“I took that trombone everywhere,” Troy says, “and never stopped playing.”

He even took it to the New Orleans Jazz & Herit-age Festival, and he played along with the musicians. He was so loud and so good that Bo Diddley called Trombone Shorty onstage and asked him to jam.

Trombone Shorty knew then that he could have his own band, so he did. Every day after school, his band practiced their music until they were able to perform “all around New Orleans” – and they still perform today!

Lately, you’ve played air guitar to a Prince song, and were a drummer on your kitchen table. If your kids caught your love of music, they might likewise dream the dreams found inside the award-winning Trombone Shorty.

With the same laissez les bon temps vibe you get from merely standing on a New Orleans sidewalk, author Troy Andrews tells of coming up poor and finding riches in his city’s songs. It’s a story that’ll make your children want to dance with music

they can almost hear from the pages of this book; those silent songs are underscored by illustrations from Bryan Collier, himself an award-winner.

Be sure to check out the author’s notes. Show your kids the pictures. While you could surely read this tale aloud to a 2-year-old, I think kids ages 4 to 7 will like it better. If they love music, especially, Trombone Shorty will be a book they won’t be able to wait for.

“Trombone Shorty” By Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier©2015, Abrams Books for Young Readers$17.95 / $21.95 Canada40 pages

Trombone Shorty

June 9, 201630 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Anyone remember Elastigirl from Pixar’s Incredibles? Or to jump further into the WayBack machine, do you remember The Twilight Zone TV series and movie? Two local filmmakers do and they’re letting their imaginations run wild to create something entirely new!

Let me introduce you to filmmakers Patrick Shawn Bennett and Anthony Phillips. Recently, I was lucky enough to be a fly on the wall during the mak-ing of Stretch, a story that will be told through short episodes or “webisodes” on www.popninja.com. Here’s what Mr. Bennett had to say about the series:

JAM: Special effects will be re-

quired to make the series. Can you tell us about them?

Patrick: Since this is a superhero action series, there must be super pow-ers… the particular super power the character in Stretch has is the power of elasticity. Basically, this means she can stretch like a rubber band. This effect will be done by digitally animating the stretches over the actual video frames that we shot. Everything from gun flashes to explosions will all be done digitally. It’s cheaper… and safer.

JAM: What things do you like about making a web series instead of a short film or feature?

Patrick: I like the fact that the epi-sodes are super short, so it only takes a few shooting days to complete each one instead of several weeks or months of shooting. I also like that it is a series and you can make changes as you go

from one episode to the other. If you see something that is working well, you can add more of that in the future.

These short epi-sodes are designed

to be watched on a computer or tablet

or phone so the runt-ime is kept very short.

People can view them on a lunch break or anytime they want and it doesn’t re-quire much of an attention span. The episodes will be 8-10 minute in length. Short enough to keep your interest and because it’s episodic, we can really develop characters and carry plot arcs forward over the course of a season.

JAM: Were there any surprises during the casting process?

Patrick: I already knew that we have a great pool of talented actors right here in Lake Charles and the surrounding area. No surprise there. When I say talented actors I don’t mean my neighbor’s cousin who was

the star of his high school play 20 years ago. I mean actors that train with act-

ing coaches and take classes and have been in feature films, short films, commercials, plays, etc. These are real actors who train hard and master their craft. The surprise was that they are a lot more talented than some may realize. It was easier than I thought it would be to fully cast the series locally.

JAM: Where will Stretch be show-ing once it’s completed and how often will the episodes be released?

Patrick: I have designed the series to be exclusive content to a website I have (popninja.net) which is an en-tertainment website featuring news on movies, TV shows, comic books, games, collectibles and more. The site also has an indie filmmaker area where I spotlight indie filmmakers, indie films and more. Right now I’m just concentrating on getting the pilot epi-

Superheroes and The Twilight Zone

in Southwest Louisiana

June 9, 2016 31Vol. 8 • No. 5

sode completed. Once the pilot is edit-ed, I will use it as a blueprint to follow in the production of the other episodes. I am planning on shooting six episodes for the first season. Once all six are completed, I will release an episode each month on the website. “Stretch – the series” has a Facebook page that will give updates on the production of the web series as well as news on when the episodes release. You can find it at www.facebook.com/stretchseries. As soon as the pilot is complete, we will do the film festival circuit showing it as a short film while we are busy working to complete the other episodes.

JAM: Is there anything else you’d

like to share with Jambalaya readers?Patrick: I would like to mention

that the Lake Charles area has a very active indie film community that has been making films for decades. Among us are directors, writers, actors, camera operators, sound and lighting profes-sionals, storyboard and concept art-ists, songwriters, makeup artists, and more. This isn’t something new to the area. These professionals take their projects very seriously. Each year, there are more than a dozen of these films (shorts and features) produced here. Some even get distribution on DVD or platforms like Netflix. Others can be viewed on Youtube or Vimeo.

One project that I am going to take on is to catalog and share the info of all these local indie projects on the popninja website. Did you know that we have a local film commission? Did

you know we have a local film group that makes films and helps oth-ers on their film projects by pro-viding crew and equipment? Did you know that we have local groups that screen films on a regular basis at different venues around town? Did you know there are local acting classes taught by professional actors? Did you

know that there is a local annual film festival (www.LakeCharlesFilmFestival.com) that screens local and interna-tional films and holds workshops on subjects like filmmaking, acting and animation? Filmmaking is very much alive and well in Lake Charles, Louisi-ana. Get involved.

The Space BetweenAs Patrick said, there are multiple

filmmakers in town, all with unique visions. While Stretch is in the shoot-ing and editing stages, Anthony Phil-lips has recently completed his own 30 minute short film, The Space Between. Here’s what he says about his inspira-tion for the film and his plans for the future.

JAM: What triggered the idea to do a Twilight Zone-style story?

Anthony: The idea for The Space Between came from a dream I had one night. When I woke up and wrote some of it down I started think-ing, ‘well what happens next?’ It was then I realized the story had a similar feel to a Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, or Outer Limits episode.

JAM: Was there anything that sur-prised you as a first-time director?

Anthony: Yes, how many angles it takes to get even the simplest of shots. I knew it was a lot but it was more than I thought.

JAM: Is there anything you would do differently the next time around?

Anthony: I would love to have more crew and even more preparation.

JAM: What are your plans for the film? It’s longer than a YouTube short but shorter than a feature.

Anthony: This first film will hopefully be part of a larger anthol-ogy set in the same “universe” but different characters and stories. Also The Space Between is being submit-ted to film festivals. With the first film we really just wanted to show people what we could do on a very small budget.

JAM: Is there anything else you’d like to tell Jambalaya fans?

Patrick: The Space Between is a SAG-AFTRA production, which means we followed all the guidelines to become a union film including having a SAG actor in the film. As we build on this film and make more we hope to continue this trend while increasing production value.

So in the future, if you catch a glimpse of a film crew with folks chas-ing superheroes or something surreal framed in the lens, you’ll know it’s our local film directors getting creative. Until next time, save me some pop-corn!

June 9, 201632 Vol. 8 • No. 5

By Brian Pitre

Changing careers in life is no easy task. Once you dedicate yourself to a particular job, you become submerged in the culture and lifestyle that surrounds it. However, we tend to find jobs and immerse our-selves in them long before we discover our true career paths, making transition-ing later in life not just difficult on our budgets, but also on our families and most of all, our mental state.

The drive, focus, patience, and ingenu-ity required to make such changes can only be taken up by those with the will and skills to endure. I have been blessed to learn about the emotional climb local artist Heather Boston has taken to achieve her lifelong dream of being a professional artist

JAM: How long have you been pro-ducing art?

Heather Boston: I have been crea-tive since I was a child, but I didn’t have a lot of confidence in myself as an art-

ist. It took me many years to listen to my creative soul, accept who I am and become an artist. I honestly didn’t believe in myself or my work, but I kept working on it. About five years ago, I found what I would call my style. So in total, about 24 years, and counting!

JAM: Did you undergo any sort of formal training?

HB: I received an art scholarship to McNeese, but was strongly encouraged to switch my major to nursing, so I finished my nursing degree. I would paint on the side for hours. I was obsessed with tex-tures and layers and would work with different mediums, furniture stains, chalk paints, India inks, charcoals, acrylics, etc. So a bit of both, I guess. As of now, I’m currently teaching myself how to work with water-soluble oils.

JAM: What did you accomplish that allowed you to first realize that you could be successful as a professional artist?

HB: I dream a lot about paintings and

few years back, I wasn’t sure what to do. One day, a missionary from our church spoke and I began to tremble and cry. I realized I had dreamed about her. I had never heard of New Love Outreach Min-istries, but I awkwardly approached her and said, “You don’t know me but I think I’m supposed to paint a picture for you to auction off.” Well, I painted that piece, my dream. I spent over 108-plus hours. It was the biggest piece I’d ever done at that time (5 ft. x 5 ft.). The ministry group auctioned the painting off and it paid the college tuition for a girl in Thailand. Little did I know the girl in my paint-ing (dream) was the speaker’s daughter! It was at that moment, after sitting on my kitchen floor staring at this piece for days, something I pieced together from a dream, I knew that God really did bless me with an amazing gift. I’ve been honor-ing Him with it ever since.

JAM: How long have you had your studio, and what led you to opening it?

HB: I ‘ve had a really tough life and

Heather Boston

June 9, 2016 33Vol. 8 • No. 5

have never loved myself fully until I opened my studio. For years, I would donate, give away, or toss out my art, not really believing it would sell, so I never had the need for a place of my own. There were times I would rent a booth at local art markets, but I was too chicken to show up to most of them. Finally, I bit the bullet and opened my studio last year. Shortly af-ter, a student and a friend asked about entering Thrive art calen-dar, so I did, and I have been going non-stop since. Making a living as an artist can be rather challenging, but I love a challenge.

JAM: So you are a mixed medium artist, yet your style is distinct. Your blending of colors and patterns is un-mistakably yours. What inspires you?

HB: Looking back, I’m amazed at moments that unknowingly influenced me through the years. I have a chaotic morgue of magazine clippings, color swatches, vintage letters, stamps, and photographs that inspire me. I have a deep passion for birds, owls and trees. Each holds a different purpose and mean-ing to me. I love colors. You may see an ugly, broken-down yellow tractor, but I admire its age, color and compare it to possibly yellow ochre. I love color tem-peratures, values, intensity, edges, blur-ring edges out with blending gel or that fine sharp point. Elements can make an impact whether portraying emotion, strength or mood.

JAM: What is your favorite subject matter?

HB: Birds, trees, nature, etc., and I love painting a story, verse or quote. I interpret it creatively into a painting. For example, the owl represents wisdom, ex-plores unknowns, and has fierce intuition and possesses the capacity to see beyond deceit and masks. I will research for hour; I will contact your great-grandma or 20th cousin if I have to, because I want to surprise not only whom the gift is for, but also the client buying it. It’s deeply im-portant for me to share this intimacy with

them. They are taking a part of my soul home to have forever.

JAM: Your artwork is always clearly a “Heather Boston” piece. What you

would consider your style?

HB: I don’t know how to explain my brain. You see junk, I see beauty. I begin a painting freely with my fingers, a blank canvas, and a spray bottle. Spraying it with water, I watch images form. This makes each piece different and truly an original. Lay-ering and collage is very important

in my work. Some of what is hidden is just as important as what is visible. Ele-ments I strategically use are relevant to the story I am painting. I can spend up to eight hours searching for the perfect part of a letter to have hidden, or certain vintage Lake Charles memorabilia. My extensive pieces have lots of layers. You won’t notice every detail at once. It may be a year later and I will get a call, “Oh my, guess what I found?” That is what I live to create, what I love! I feel as though I have mastered blending. Yeah, I said it: Mastered!

JAM: Even with a wealth of inspira-tion surrounding you, running a busi-ness is hard work and can leave you drained. What drives you to continue making art every day?

HB: My children Brooklynn and Jayden. I could write a book on them alone. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for them. My mom plays a huge role in my drive. She helped me build a legacy. She could have given up on me years ago but she didn’t and has been my biggest cheer-leader. When I want to give up, she says, “No, ma’am. Pick your chin up, push past self-doubt. I have faith in you.” Those lit-tle words inspire me.

JAM: What are some of your art plans for the rest of the year?

HB: We will be kicking off our second Summer of Camps on June 6. We also added classes on Monday and Tuesday evenings. For the first time, I am offering a Portfolio Building class. I am also work-

ing on a special series called, “What Hurts God?” It is about issues going on in our world today with addiction, abortion, miscarriage, abuse, sex trafficking, nature vs. nurture, mental illness, issues with our vets, etc. It is deep, powerful, and just plain beautiful.

JAM: What sort of advice would you lend an aspiring artist?

HB: Becoming an artist is a huge step. You have to be determined, focused, disciplined, and committed. Do what sets your soul on fire, don’t stop, work as hard as you can and keep working. Don’t compromise and don’t waste time. Fall in love with the struggle, the will to succeed, the drive, the hard work, the passion. The ride is rough, but stay positive, embrace your journey and trust the process.

Heather BostonFrom the heART Studios154 School St. - Suite CMoss Bluff, LA 70611Fromtheheartstudios@gmail.com 337.499.8108

SWLArt Group is a collaboration of a variety of local groups & artists, to support the development and improve-ment of their quality of life & business as well as strengthen the over cultural growth of the community. For more information about SWLArt Group, artists, or events visit their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/swlart. Also be sure to follow them on Instagram and Twitter @swlart.

June 9, 201634 Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 2016 35Vol. 8 • No. 5

Thursday, June 9Amanda Walker5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Lost Bayou Ramblers7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Orphan Annie8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Atomic9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 2 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Karaoke NightKaroake starts @ 11 p.m.9 p.m.-2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 W. Broad St., LC

Paws teh Cat11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Friday, June 10Amanda Walker5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Kenny Spears7 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059, LC

Reece Sullivan, Jay Broussard, Skies Speak and Josh Ross Doors open at 8:30 p.m. My Place American Pub630 W. Prien Lake Rd. LC

Joe Harmon and the Harmonics9 p.m. @ The Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack Casino2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

Atomic9 p.m.-1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Tricky Dickies9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Dance NightDrink specials starting @ midnight9 p.m.- 4 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 W. Broad St., LC

Safi ra9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Louisiana Yard Dogs9:30 p.m. @ Jack After Dark L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Double Play DJ10 p.m. @ Lucky Longhorn 2374 HWY 109 S, Vinton

Saturday, June 11Amanda Walker5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

LA Bayou Band7 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059, LC

Sadistic Hospitality,The Kodiax, The Nobody’s and Fuzzy Junkies9 p.m. until @ On the Rocks817 E. McNeese St. LC

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

Joe Harmon and the Harmonics9 p.m. @ The Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack Casino2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

Safi ra9 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Atomic9 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Tricky Dickies9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Double Play DJ10 p.m. @ Lucky Longhorn 2374 HWY 109 S, Vinton

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

Sunday, June 12Chester & Jarius DaigleJD’s Whiskey Brunch@ 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Mike Fulmer4 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059 LC

Server Industry NightSunday Funday Karaoke Night 9 p.m. @ 171 Junction Roadhouse2600 Moeling St. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 2 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Monday, June 13Kenneth Espree5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Deadline, When All Is Lost, and Forming The Void9 p.m. until @ The Center Stage3426 Ryan St. LC

Open Mic Night9-midnight @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., LC

Tuesday, June 14Kevin Lambert5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Mickey Smith6:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s Bar3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

June 9, 201636 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Trivial TuesdaysLive Team Trivia7:30 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St.

DJ Verrett/Karaoke8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Angel Garcia8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

SIN NightTwo for Tuesday on shots and beer9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., LC

Wednesday, June 15Chester Daigle5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar

L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Chris Miller & The Bayou Roots6:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s Bar3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

Streetside Jazz Trio8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

The Fuse8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Superstar WednesdaysDrag Show starts at 11:30 p.m.9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., LC

Thursday, June 16John Guidroz & Kevin Lambert5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

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

The Fuse8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

High Rollers9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 2 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

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

Friday, June 17John Guidroz & Kevin Lambert5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Big Jimmy and Reckless7 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059 LC

The Guess Who8:30 p.m. @ The Grand Event CenterGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LCTickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com and/or by phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets can also be pur-chased on performance day begin-ning at 2 p.m. at the Golden Nugget Box Offi ce.

LA Express9 p.m. @ The Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack Casino2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

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

The Fuse9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

High Rollers9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Dance NightDrink specials starting @midnight9 p.m.- 4 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 W. Broad St., LC

Larry Tillery11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Saturday, June 18Bring It Home Music FestivalAshes of Babylon, Marc Broussard, Gill Landry, and Tank and the Bangas @ Lake Charles Civic Center Colise-um, 1 p.m.-midnight. www.bring-ithomefest.com.

John Guidroz & Kevin Lambert5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

June 9, 2016 37Vol. 8 • No. 5

Blues Tonic7 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059, LC

Bill Engvall8 p.m. @ The Grand Event CenterGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LCTickets are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.com and/or by phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets can also be pur-chased on performance day begin-ning at 2 p.m. at the Golden Nugget Box Offi ce.

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

LA Express9 p.m. @ The Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack Casino

2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

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

High Rollers9 p.m.– 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

The Fuse9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Billy Carter

10 p.m. @ Lucky Longhorn 2374 HWY 109 S, Vinton

DJ Cage11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Sunday, June 19Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar and Grill710 Ryan St., LC

Chester & Jarius DaigleJD’s Whiskey Brunch@ 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Clint Faulk4 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059, LC

Father’s Day Dance PartyGregg Martinez & the Delta Kings7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

Brittany Pfantz7 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Server Industry NightSunday Funday Karaoke Night 9 p.m. @ 171 Junction Roadhouse2600 Moeling St. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 2 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

June 9, 201638 Vol. 8 • No. 5

They Sit at the Bar and Put Bread in My Jar and Say Man

What Are You Doin’ Here...Greetings to all you fine folk from

Justin Morris’ Lake Charles and of places beyond! Welcome back to another issue of my random musical and artistic musings that is, admittedly starting off in a slightly different voice for now, my 34th edition. Though this issue is going to be skewing to a slightly more limited audience, I as-sure you, my normal rantings and ravings are sure to be back soon. This time, I’m talking specifically to the musicians and artists of all persuasions that happen to be tuning in. Who knows? Maybe there’s a take-away in this for the rest of you as well...

I was recently talking to a musical friend that was struggling with the balance of popularity and acceptance and what a local fan base/audience will or will not get behind, and the pursuit of artistic integrity and independence. Through a lot of anger

and sheer frustration, I heard him talking about being compared to and contrasted against other acts that are a fundamentally different style of music, but due to the na-ture of the number of music fans we have in our small area, all wind up splitting the same audience and attention that working acts need to thrive and grow.

I can intimately understand the aggra-vation of innovative, original songwriters and performers that find themselves com-peting against not only acts of other gen-res but even against “DJ” or karaoke nights as far as pulling in a crowd. Even losing traction against a cover band when you are not just writing, but collectively working and crafting these songs for months in the rehearsal space just to be outdone on the same night, sometimes exponentially, against a literal or proverbial jukebox of someone else’s songs is, without a doubt, an arguable grievance.

This takes nothing away from the hard work, talent and time that said cover bands or D’s put into their craft. These are commendable and often impressive and highly entertaining shows, but selling existing hits to a crowd while entertain-

ing is a great bit easier than introducing new music and trying to garner enough support to try and turn it into something more than just “another local band’s original song. I think this represents an interesting dichotomy that is the music business: Artistry vs. Industry.

The struggle for relevance in any artistic environment is tireless and everlasting. Creating art that stands out amongst the masses and above your peers enough to put you in a position to develop your act above and beyond “the occasional bar gig” is not an easy task. It takes vision, com-mitment and a healthy bit of tenacity to see that realized. A passionate artist has the creativity and tenacity to hold that artistic vision through to completion, no matter what.

Van Gogh is a great example. Despite public scorn and hardly any professional success during his lifetime, he stayed true to what his creative vision was and it landed him in the history books as, quite possibly, the greatest painter the world has ever known. Pure art for art’s sake at, maybe, its most profound.

But the rub for Van Gogh is that his

Monday, June 20Stacy Bearden5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

DJ Jose Mata8 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Tuesday, June 21Kay Miller5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort

777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Clint Faulk6:30 p.m. @ Loggerheads3748 Hwy 3059 LC

Trivial TuesdaysLive Team Trivia7:30 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St.

DJ Jose Mata8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Wednesday, June 22Chester Daigle5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Chris Miller & The Bayou Roots6:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s Bar3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

Brian Moore8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Kris Harper8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

SuperstarWednesdaysDrag Show starts at 11:30 p.m.9 p.m. - 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 Broad St., LC

Thursday, June 23Rusty Yates5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

June 9, 2016 39Vol. 8 • No. 5

Something is Happening Here...And now that all that business is out of the way let us move on to what IS HAPPENING in the Lake City in the days to

come.

Friday, June 17: The Guess Who, Golden Nugget Lake CharlesBefore “American Woman” was Lenny Kravitz, it was 100 percent The Guess Who. The Canadian rockers behind hits

such as this, “These Eyes,” “No Time” and “No Sugar Tonight” are en route to The Golden Nugget Lake Charles. After nearly 50 years, these songs remain a part of our lives and still have a power and relevance today as they did in the late ‘60s and early ‘70’s. Friday, June 17 is the night and I hope to SEE YOU ALL AT THAT SHOW!

Saturday, June 18: Bring It Home Music Festival, Lake Charles Civic CenterJune 18 will welcome the newest and most anticipated festival, the inaugural edition of the Bring It Home Fest. The

area’s newest affair will kick off with a party on Friday night for ticketholders and on Saturday, the Civic Center becomes ground zero for a day of music and fun featuring NOLA’s Tank and The Bangas, Marc Broussard, Gil Landry (Formerly of Old Crow and the Medicine Show) and local reggae favorites Ashes of Babylon along with numerous other local acts par-ticipating in the Battle of the Bands that is currently underway. For more information and for presale, standard and VIP tickets, log on to http://bringithomefest.com. This fest holds a lot of promise and I hope to see you all there! If I wasn’t clear, GO SEE THIS SHOW!

There’s Still A Lot of Faith, Warmth and Trust When We Keep On Keeping On…C’est tout mes amis et famille! Thank you all once again for checking us out and do remember to send any ques-

tions, comments, queries and suggestions to JMLC@justinmorrisentertainment.com. I always love to hear from you!Until next time... I’ll see YOU at the show!

success and place in history would not be fully realized until long after his death. It’s certainly charming to think about go-ing down in history, but if it delivers a life of hardship and poverty, then we are left to wonder just what the practical value is in the heart of deep artistic creation. It is here that the industry side of this equa-tion comes into play. Every artist would love to go down in the record books, but every single one of them would like to not put themselves in the poorhouse trying to do so.

A pureness of vision can be a powerful thing, an artist has to first know spe-cifically what that vision is. If it is about making money, then fully understand the dynamic of making great art that is as profitable as can be and be willing to do what it takes to make that happen. If your vision is pure and unbridled artistry then, by all means, “art” your happy little face off. Stay true to that vision and don’t compromise, no matter what.

The goal for most is as much a balance of the two that they can muster and that,

sadly, is the hardest of all the options. The best advice that I can give would be to clearly and succinctly spell out both your financial and artistic goals for yourself in your craft. Fully understand how to optimize both and then objectively look at what trade-offs you are willing to make to achieve that balance. It’s not a “bal-ance” you will always find, but knowing that you will have to make these difficult choices will only make that eventuality that much easier. It’ll never be perfect, so make it the best you can while you can.

Dusty Spur7 p.m. @ Mikko LiveCoushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Drive, Kinder

3-H-G8 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Safi ra9 p.m. – 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 2 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Karaoke NightKaroake starts @ 11 p.m.9 p.m.-2 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 W. Broad St., LC

Paws teh Cat11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Friday, June 24Rusty Yates5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Mike Fulmer7 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s Bar3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

BB and Company9 p.m. @ The Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack Casino2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

Safi ra9 p.m.-1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

3-H-G9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ RushGolden Nugget Casino Resort

June 9, 201640 Vol. 8 • No. 5

2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Dance NightDrink specials starting @ midnight9 p.m.- 4 a.m. @ Crystal’s112 W. Broad St., LC

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

Double Play DJ10 p.m. @ Lucky Longhorn 2374 HWY 109 S, Vinton

Louisiana Express11 p.m. @ Jack After Dark NightclubL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Ave. L’Auberge, LC

Saturday, June 25Rusty Yates5:30 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine BarL’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

Lady of the Lake River Cruisewith City HeatDeparts @ 6 p.m. from Loggerheads3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

Flashback7:30 p.m. @ Loggerhead’s Bar3748 Hwy. 3059 (Old Town Rd.) LC

Special Event Night9 p.m. – 2 a.m. @ Crystal’s

112 W. Broad St., LC

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

Safi ra9 p.m.- 1 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

DJ Jose Mata9 p.m.- 3 a.m. @ Blue MartiniGolden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

3-H-G9 p.m.- 2:30 a.m. @ Rush

Golden Nugget Casino Resort2550 Golden Nugget Blvd. LC

Double Play DJ10 p.m. @ Lucky Longhorn 2374 HWY 109 S, Vinton

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

Sunday, June 26Chester & Jarius DaigleJD’s Whiskey Brunch@ 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.L’Auberge Casino Resort777 Avenue L’Auberge, LC

The iconic poolside concert series, Liquid Society, returns to L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles this June and July. The 2016 lineup includes nationally touring bands in ad-dition to local fan favorites. The Thursday night poolside entertainment series launches on June 23 with Battle of the Bands where four regional bands compete for a paying gig at L’Auberge and a luxury cabana pool package.

Tickets for Liquid Society can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by visiting the L’Auberge Box Office and include pre-sale discounts, season packages and a limited number of VIP Party Packages.

Liquid Society 2016!

The FrayThird Eye Blind

June 23 Battle of the Bands

June 30 Third Eye Blind (Rock)

July 7 Chris Young (Country)

July 14 Wayne Toups with Special Guest TBA (Cajun/Zydeco)

July 21 The Fray (Rock)

July 28 TBA

June 9, 2016 41Vol. 8 • No. 5

June 9, 201642 Vol. 8 • No. 5

Arthur and Nellie Sanchez Mequet Werlin, Allison Wise and Jena Wynn

K.C. Cox, Julie Powers and Tanya White Vickie Morgan and Mary Batchelor

Jeannie and Alex Bando

Ben Offill, Stephanie Boyd and David Gill

AIR SUPPLY AT GOLDEN NUGGET It was a night of soft rock memories as ‘80s

legends Air Supply made their way back here for the first time in over two years. The guys looked

and sounded remarkable and everyone in attendance can tell you that they still have it!

Looking forward to next time!

Terri Anbey and Nicole Mudd

Bill and C.C. Searcy with Benjamin Taylor

OPENING NIGHT AT

RIKENJAKSIt’s been over a

decade since the city has been

graced with the wonder that is Rikenjaks beer, but the beloved woodpecker is

flying high again as Rikenjaks has

now officially returned to

SWLA! Looks like great things are

on the horizon for one of the area’s

most beloved brands!

Thrilled to have you guys back!

Sugar Escobar, Maura Cole and Jay Piernas

Collen Augustine and Ariel Braddock

June 9, 2016 43Vol. 8 • No. 5

Bobby and Linda Armstrong

Rita Hughes and Brittany White

WAYNE TOUPS AT DELTA DOWNS Mr. Zydecajun himself treated Delta Downs guests to a free night of music recently in the Delta Events Center. It was a night to dance and party and everyone looked like

they were there to do just that. A-yeee!

FIEND WITHOUT A FACE AT LUNA LIVE Music fans got a treat as Georgia-based Fiend Without a Face made a special appearance at

Luna Live this weekend. While that name might not be familiar, frontman Brent Hind’s other act

Mastodon (two-time Grammy nominee and two-time Billboard Top 10 act) very well should

be. Great show all around!

Alora Muro, Steven WeidemannChristian and Jean-Paul Barbier

Carli Guillory and Ashley Beard Brian and Megan Murphy with Chris Connally Andrea Gustin and Christopher Morlewski

Wayne Toups and Justin Morris

Steve and Cindy Cockerham

Felicia Hartman and Justin Coker