COMPLIMENTARY

DECEMBER 2015, VOL. 13 ISSUE 11

Publisher / Editor
Mike Strong

Table of Contents

Sales Manager

CENTER STAGE.........................4

Dottie Godberry

JFA CHRISTMAS PARTY .........10

Staff Photographer

SWEET EYES W/ TANYA.... ....12

Jimmy Dunkley

FOR MORE INFORMATION

LAYNES...................................................24

225.622.3262
www.riverparishfoods.com

Contributing Writers
Bill Delaune

JAMMIN WITH GOOSIE........ 29

BILL DELAUNE........................ 30

Linda Melancon
Calvin Bessonett

Bully
Goosie Guice
Orhan McMillan
Kellie Seymour
Tanya Stilley
Roland Doucet
Jimmy Dunkley

For Advertising
Information Please call:
225-622-1324

E-Mail Comments
to Stronggraphics1@cox.net
www.ascensionmagazine.net

Note: Features in this

publication labeled
advertorial
are paid for editorials.
All Rights Reserved.
Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the
publisher, editor or staff of
Ascension Magazine

18386 Little Prairie Rd.

Prairieville, LA 70769

THOUGHTS FROM BULLY.....34

CHRISTMAS PARADE...............36

The Most Popular Christmas

Doll Contest Performed by
Center Stage at the Christmas
Tree Lighting Ceremony

Center Stage Performing

Arts Academy descended
upon the Gonzales Civic
Center on December 1,
2015 for the annual
Christmas Tree Lighting
event. While hundreds of
eager kids waited in line for
Santa, the academys
Junior and Senior Musical
Theatre Elite groups
performed their brand new

Christmas show The

Most Popular Christmas
Doll Contest. The original
show, written by Center
Stages owner, Larry
Schexnaydre, featured a
colorful cast of dolls
Belle, Jesse, Barbie,
Cinderella, Snow White,
Tiana, Elsa and Anna competing for the title of
Most Popular while being

judged by past winners,

Pocahontas, American Girl
Doll and Raggedy Ann and the
North Poles own Mrs. Claus,
Buddy the Elf and Rosie
the Elf.
Each character had to explain
to the judges why they should
win the ultimate award and
sing a song that best
exemplified their Christmas

Spirit. The Junior Musical

Theatre Elite Group, who filled
the stage as Santas helpers,
accompanied each number
with a spirited chorus and
energy. With Linda
Schexnaydres lively
choreography and the
magnificent voices of the
entire cast, the show was a
hilarious musical romp that
highlighted the many aspects

of the Christmas season and got the

crowd in a holiday spirit. After the show,
the characters mingled with the young
children in the audience, posed for
pictures and even signed autographs
for their eager fans a truly festive
atmosphere.
Cast:
Senior Musical Theatre Elite Group
Buddy Chris Bourgeois
Mrs. Claus Hannah Chiquelin
Barbie Gracie Owens
Elsa Macy Marionneaux
Anna Shelly Kleinpeter
Jesse Molly Beth Blanchard
Tiana Daria Coleman
Cinderella Kendall Claire Lamont
Snow White Sarah Talbot

Flu Vaccines are In!

The CDC recommends on annual flu vaccine for everyone!

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Belle Nicole Crochet

Raggedy Ann Grace
Scoggins
American Girl Julia LeBlanc
Rosie, the elf Kerrington
Rapp
Pocahontas Ashlyn Leonard
Elves Kate Duhe
Olivia Waguespack
Anna Smith
Junior Musical Theatre
Elite Group

Avery Aucoin
Anna Coffee
Mallory Commander

Cypress Hall

Weddings Business Seminars

Crawfish Boils Reunions

Caitlin Dulaney
Hannah Gautreau
Hannah Godchaux
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Jambalaya Festival Association

hosted their Annual Christmas Party
Jambalaya Festival Association
hosted their annual Christmas
Party at the St. Amant Recreational
Center. The celebration saw its
largest attendance in years.
many volunteers and Association
Members to kick off the holiday
season.
Many partygoers mingled and

served plates of fried fish and

shrimp, potato salad, gumbo,
brisket and much more.
Congratulations to the 2015
recipients of our Nora Lee Ricca
award, first ever husband and wife
recipients - Todd and Vanessa
Blair! We are so thankful for your
service to the JFA.

Im checking your titles once

and checking them twice

To All Our Friends, Family & Customers.

We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

TAGS & TITLES, LLC 644-1512

The Tags & Titles Crew
Jamie FredericBraud PTA/Notary

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WHAT EVER YOU NEED WE CAN HELP

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Nora Lee Ricca Award

Recipients since its first year:

1981 Pie Lanoux

1982 Dalton Marchand
1983 Mary Ann Keller
1984 Elsie Walker
1985 Mac Daigle
1986 Cobby Walker
1987 Darlene Reulet
1988 Ernest Beaver Cubbage
1989 Frank Frederic
1990 Anita Young
1991 Pat Austin
1992 Carol Frederic
1993 Ed Mike Daigle
1994 Eladee Chauvin
1995 Robert A. Pitre, Jr.
1996 Pearl Reed

1997 Wally Taillon

1998 Estelle Carpenter
1999 Ruby Corrent
2000 Frank Corrent
2001 Solly Boudreaux
2002 Lucia Smithey
2003 Freddie Hurst
2004 Mike Daigle
2005 Carlos Braud
2006 Gilbert Taillon
2007 Carbett Bercegeay
2008 Valmon & Rita Bercegeay
2009 Tammy Guillory
2010 Robert Jackson
2011 Mike Gonzales, Sr.
2012 Mike Berthelot
2013 Shane Martinez
2014 Brenda Taillon
Todd and Vanessa Blair

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11

need.
Geaux Bama!
Finally, there was the Geismar
Senior Citizens Luncheon at
the Geismar Community
Center. This annual event is
full of food and fellowship,
even a friendly sing off
competition! This is event is
supported by local businesses
and community members that
provide lunch, fruit baskets and
giveaways for Geismars senior
community. What a blessing to
give back to those who have
given so much.
These events were only a few of
many events supported by you,
Ascension Parish. Because of
this and so much more, I
applaud you. Your love and
kindness reach to the hearts of
those in this parish and for that
I am forever grateful.

Dear
Ascension
Parish,
Merry Christmas to you! I am
so very proud to call you home.
Weve been together for about
six years now, and each year I
get to know you more and
more. Ive seen so many spirit
filled gatherings over the years,
and this month is no exception.
It warms my heart to see the
love and generosity of the
people that live in this parish.
First there was the Gonzales
Christmas Tree Lighting and
Christmas with Santa event put
on by the City of Gonzales.
The Gonzales Civic Center was
adorned with candy canes,

Christmas trees and elves were

spreading Christmas cheer.
What a fun event open to
everyone in the community.
Santa came to visit and took a
picture with all the little ones in
the community. The locally
known dance company Center
Stage performed a whimsical
muscial! It was Ascensions
version of a Christmas
Broadway.
Secondly, the Ascension Parish
Sheriffs Office hosted the
annual Christmas Crusade.
The Sheriffs office accepts
Christmas gift donations for
the needy children in our
community that otherwise may
not have anything under the
Christmas tree. They host a
night where the local
community can meet at
Wal Mart and purchase gifts to
donate as well. The APSO
gives so much more to

GONZALES CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING

Ascension Parish
than their service
and protection;
they give their
time and energy
to care for those
less fortunate.

SHERIFFS OFFICE CHRISTMAS CRUSADE

Then, the Feed

the Needy event
hosted by, yes,
Ascensions well
known and loved,
Thomsas Bama
Aldridge. Every
year before
Christmas the
male
Ascensionites
gather at the
Gonzales Country
Club to have a
few cool ones, but
more importantly
cook jambalaya to help those
less fortunate in the community! This event started back in
2006 with one pot of jambalaya
that raised around $800. This
year Feed the Needy raised over
$24,000 for local families in

Love and Blessings for 2016

Ascension Parish,
XOXO -

FEED THE NEEDY

12

Sweet Eyes

Laser Tattoo Removal Q & A

accomplished. However, it
is very important to know
that over 100 tattoo inks
are in use worldwide today,
Medical lasers use an
none of which are regulatintense beam of light to
ed by the FDA. Not
remove the tattoo ink while knowing which tattoo ink,
minimizing damage to the how deep, or how much
surrounding healthy skin.
was used makes it
The light energy is
impossible to predict the
delivered in very short
degree of removal on any
pulses of light that are
given tattoo.
absorbed by the ink
particles of the tattoo.
This energy breaks the
How many
ink particles into tiny
treatments are
fragments which are then
needed for tattoo
absorbed through the
bodys natural cleansing
removal and how
system.

How does laser

tattoo removal work?

Can laser tattoo

removal treat all
colors?
Certain colors respond
quicker to laser tattoo
removal. For example,
black, red, dark orange,
and dark blue are the
easiest and fastest to
remove. Green, purple,
brown, light orange and
light blue may require
more visits. The depth of
the tattoo will also
determine how many
treatments are needed, as
well as the type of ink used.
Lastly, your skin tone will
play a part in how fast your
tattoo responds to laser.
Lighter skin tones typically
have a higher success rate.

Will the tattoo

completely disappear?
In many cases, yes.
Greater than 90% fading of
the tattoo may be

often can treatments

be done?

The number of treatments

required for maximum
improvement depends
upon the size, location,
depth, and color of the
tattoo. On the average,
professional tattoos require
6-10 treatments while
amateur tattoos require 2-4
treatments. Treatments are
done 6-8 weeks apart.

Is laser tattoo
removal painful?
Injectable numbing medication can be used before
the procedure to minimize
discomfort. Most patients
are completely numb
during the treatment and
feel no discomfort. After
the numbing medication
wears off patients may have
mild irritation or itching
for 1-3 days.

13

Botox Fillers Laser Hair Removal

Lip Enhancement Sun Damage (IPL)

FEED THE NEEDY 2015

The fundraider designed to raise money to help needy families during the
holiday season went off without a hitch. This event has not only helped
families it has brought a community together and set and example for our
youth. This year Stevie Dugas returned to help stir the pots and serve the
food. There is no better feeling than to seea young person learn and experience life long values.
In December 2006, Uncle Perry and Aunt Susan Aldridge casually
mentioned to BAMA that there were three needy families in the Gonzales
Stevie Dugas

area who were in danger of going without the

necessities for Christmas.
That was all it took for the idea of Feed
the Needy to be born in the big heart of the
CEO, Thomas BAMA Aldridge.
It was a humble beginning that year as
BAMA asked Sheriff Wiley if he would
sponsor a pot of food to use as a fund raiser in
order to try to help these families. The Sheriff
obliged and BAMA and his Souse Chef,
Bones Sheets cooked a hen and andouille
sauce piquante which was sold for the regular
Saturday lunch at Gonzales Country Club.
The process raised $800.00 and in turn, those
three families had an unexpectedly great
Christmas.

15

Since the beginning the event has grown

larger with finacial support and voluteers.
Last year the event raised in excess of
$30,000. This year is no different with
dollars still coming in the total exceeds
$25,000.
The volunteer crew was the largest,
hardest working, and most efficient I have
ever seen. The response by the people of
Ascension Parish in terms of its donations as
well as the jambalaya dinner purchases was
incredible. The most heart warming fact in
all this process is that there was not one
cent of expenses and all of the money raised
will be dispersed to needy families right
here in our communities. There are no
administrative cost retained.
Once again, the residents of this area have
shown why it is such a blessing to live in
Ascension Parish.

16

17

Allison Hudson
Receives
Prestigious
Xavier University
Alumni Award
Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office
Public Information Officer, Allison B.
Hudson, was recently selected as one
of Xavier University of Louisianas Top
40 under 40 Young Alumni Awards
for her accomplishments in the
Ascension Parish community.
Xavier Universitys Top 40 under 40
Awards recognize outstanding
professionals under the age of 40 for
their contributions to their
organizations and to the community.
As a young, professional woman
dominating the historically proverbial
boys club known as journalism,
Hudson has made her mark in the
professional world both in journalism
and law enforcement.
Hudson currently serves as the
Public Information Officer under the
leadership of Sheriff Jeff Wiley in
Ascension Parish where she serves
as the
liaison between the sheriffs office
and the local, state, and national
media.
Her professional life is exceedingly
busy and seemingly unstoppable; she
still finds time to serve her community. She volunteers in the community
at large as well as in the community
in which she is a professional.
Hudson served as president of the
Donaldsonville Area Chamber of
Commerce from 2011-2013 and the
first person to ever be re-elected
president for two consecutive terms.

She was re-elected for a third term

to serve as President in 2015. She
also served as Vice-President of the
Chamber for two terms and was a
board of director of the chamber
from 2008-2015.
She currently serves on the Arc of
East Ascension Community
Opportunities (COEA) board of directors where she holds the position as
vice-president.
In 2011, she was elected president of the Donaldsonville Rotary
Club, where she served for one term.
Prior to her current position, Hudson
was the editor-in-chief of the
Donaldsonville Chief Newspaper in
Donaldsonville, Louisiana. She was
the first African-American woman to
serve as editor-in-chief since the
existence of the newspaper in 1871.
During her tenure at the newspaper,
she was chosen as The top 25 under
35 for Editor and Publisher
Magazine in 2011 at the age of 25,
being the youngest on the list, for
taking the Donaldsonville Chief to
numerous heights. Under her leadership, the paper garnered over 100
awards from the Louisiana Press
Association.
Hudson was a nominee for the
Woman of Excellence Award from the
Louisiana Legislative Womens
Caucus for 2011. Not only has
Allison been an active and viable force
in print journalism, but she has diversified her professional portfolio and
has blazed a trail in public relations
as well.
She has volunteered as a coach for
the Donaldsonville High School Varsity
Cheerleaders, as a teacher and coordinator for the Donaldsonville
AMIKids School and board member,
volunteer for Rape Victims for
Ascension Parish, Life Planning with
Persons with Disabilities committee,

18

Juneteenth Festival Co-Coordinator,

Donaldsonville Louisiana Ready
Community Committee, and as a
Spanish and Salsa instructor for the
city of Donaldsonville Bright Futures
Program. She understands the
importance of service coupled with
education as a means of changing
and creating new and future leaders.
In 2012, she was selected to participate in COEAs Dancing for a Cause
Fundraiser. Allison rose over
$10,000 for persons with disabilities. In 2013, Allison spearheaded a
Toy and Coat Drive in Donaldsonville
which brought in over $10,000 and
with the help of volunteers, were able
to purchase over 300 coats and toys
for children and adults. Continuing in
her fundraising efforts, Hudson has
managed to help raise over $7,000
for the Mary Bird Perkins Breast
Cancer Foundation to help assist
those who our battling breast cancer.
She is a 2003 graduate of Edna Karr
Magnet School in New Orleans,
Louisiana and a 2008 graduate of
Xavier University with a Bachelor of
Arts in Mass Communication with a
concentration in print journalism and
a minor in speech/communication
studies.
Allison attributes her success and
passion for education from her mom
Brenda Neely, her dad Al Hudson, her
step father Dr. George Neely, her god
father Fred Tombar, and her cousin
Nadia Clark for always encouraging
her to be the greatest in school and
for instilling the importance of keep-

ing God first. She also credits her

best friend and colleague, Michael
Sanders, who has also served as a
big supporter of my dreams and vice
versa.
I am forever grateful for my experience while at Xavier and those who
I have met along the way, Hudson
said.
Xavier is a small, close-knit family,
but its also a powerhouse of really
great professionals. Dr. Larry Strout,
Dr. Dave Park, Arnold Crump, and
Melinda Shelton are just a few professors who are partly responsible
for my success because they served
and continue to serve as role models
in my profession, she added.
Lastly, Hudson attributes much of her
success while serving as editor of the
Donaldsonville Chief.
The experiences I learned and the
networking opportunities I was afforded as a young professional straight
out of college were amazing; I will
forever be thankful to the community
of Donaldsonville because it opened
so many doors for me, she added. I
am also thankful to work for such a
great and notable leader, Sheriff
Wiley, because I truly admire him for
his leadership skills and his knowledge.

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What You Need

Developing
Your Strategy:
Overall Formula

Ask yourself, what is it that you

need to accomplish your plan?
Most often, there are several
things that need to be in place.
You have to have the right set of
employees on board to help you.

by Orhan Mc Millan
dezinsINTERACTIVE

Developing Your
Strategy:
Implementation

Last month, we introduced our

article series on developing your
business strategy. We outlined an
overall strategy development plan
for your business. From your
elevator pitch to your executive
summary, you should have a good
indication of what you what
to accomplish.
In the second installment of
Developing Your Strategy, we
will focus on the concept on
strategy implementation.

Simply stated, strategy

implementation can be defined as
the process of putting plans
and strategies into action to
ultimately attain strategic goals
and objectives. By now, you have
developed a strategic plan. These
plans often sit and are not put
into use. Implementation turns
strategies into reality. Without it,
strategy is nothing.

Resources are vital. You will also

need sufficient funds to support
your implementation. In addition
to enough money, you have to
consider the time it will take
your team to achieve your goals.

implementation will involve

assigning tasks to individuals and
developing timelines.

Delegation

Any successful implementation

will have a clear leader, whether
it is the owner of a business or
the CEO of a company. Strategy
implementation is simply
impossible without a strong
organizational structure. This
person will communicate the
vision and goals necessary for
success. All organization
personnel should be fully
engaged in the plan.

The leader will delegate tasks and

roles to individual employees.
Performance measurement tools
provide motivation and allow
progress discussion to occur.
Implementation should also
include a strategic map. This map
identifies the main factors that
will guide performance.

Typical Issues

Two major mistakes in strategic

implementation are a lack of
communication and a plan that
contains too many goals. Plans
are often overwhelming and have
ideas that are not concrete.
Therefore, the progress of
implementation is hard to track.
Instead of tracking development
annually, do so bi-weekly or even
monthly. This will prevent
employees from neglecting your
goals and getting caught up in
day-to-day tasks.

You should also make your

employees accountable for implementing their parts of the strategic plan. If not enforced, your plan
will never be fully or correctly
executed.

Here are some statistics:

95% of a typical workforce
doesnt understand their
organizations strategy.
60% of organizations dont
correlate strategy to budgeting.
86% of business owners and
managers spend less than one
hour per month discussing
strategy.

Bottom line, strategic

implementation is crucial to a
companys accomplishments. It is
an administrative task and
on-going process. In order to see
your strategic plan through,

19

Communication must be open

and collaborative. The manager
must schedule meetings to
address plan updates and
progress. Technologies should
also be set-up to track the
implementation.

Step-By-Step

1. Assign Personnel
a. Who Will Be Responsible
for What Portion of the Plan
2. Decide the Budget and
Finances

3. Create a Definitive Timeline

4. Establish a Tracking System

5. Schedule Meetings for Progress

and Updates
6. Make Changes When
Necessary

We hope these ideas will guide

you to implement your business
strategies. Stay tuned for next
months strategy series
finale article.

How Sweet
It Is
By Calvin Bessonet, DDS,FAGD

With an increasing number of

people trying to avoid sugary
foods and drinks in order to
maintain good oral health,
natural sugar substitutes have
become more widely available.
One such natural sweetener,
xylitol, is added to foods and
drinks, as well as toothpastes
and mouthrinses. While it has
positive benefits, there are some
side effects associated with this
sweetener. Read on for more
information about xylitol.

What is xylitol?
Xylitol is a naturally occurring
alcohol found in most plant
material that is often extracted
from birchwood. As a sugar
substitute in foods like candy
and gum, as well as toothpastes
and mouth rinses, xylitol aids in
cavity prevention.

How does it work?

When you eat or drink sugary
foods, the sugar interacts with
bacteria in your mouth. The
bacteria feed off the sugar
and multiply..... Once the

bacteria grow, they make acids

that can eat away the enamel on
your teeth. The acid then
causes tooth decay, and cavities
begin to form. However, xylitol
does not break down like sugar,
and it can help neutralize the
acid level in your mouth, which
may prevent tooth decay from
occurring. Xylitol also prevents
bacteria from sticking to your
teeth. It is added to some
chewing gums, candies, and
other oral health products like
toothpastes and mouthrinses to
prevent tooth decay. Adults and
children who use products
containing xylitol can
significantly reduce cavity
formation.

How much xylitol

should I have?
Some brands of chewing gum
contain very small amounts of
xylitol are mostly ineffective in
preventing tooth decay. Be sure
to look for products that
contain 100 percent xylitol and
try for at least four or five
exposures with your teeth
spread throughout the day.
Using xylitol five times every
day provides the most effective
oral health benefits.

Are there any

side effects?
If consumed at the recommended levels, xyletol is safe for
children and adults. Xylitol is
safe in the amounts found in
foods, gum, and oral health
products. Some of the initial
physical side effects of
consuming products with
xylitol include diarrhea and
intestinal gas, which usually
will subside over time.

Are there side

effects for pets?

failure. and even death. You

can see your pet vomit,
become depressed, and lose
coordination. These signs may
appear immediately after consuming xylitol or may occur up
to a few days after. If your
ingest a product that contains
xylitol, it is important to seek
veterinary help immediately.
When used correctly, xylitol
is a great addition to your oral
health regimen. If you are
interested in learning more
about xylitol, talk with your
dentist about which products
are most effective and how
they should be used.

The U.S. Food

and Drug
Administration
reports that
xylitol-even in
small amounts
found in
candies and
other productsis extremely
toxic in both
dogs and
ferrets. The
physical effects
of xylitol on
pets include a
sudden drop in
blood sugar,
seizures, liver

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With Many Thanks to the Dutchtown and Geismar

Community for allowing us to be Your Community
Physical Therapy Provider for over 8 years.
AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE
DUTCHTOWN COMMUNITY REMAINS
THE SAME...
Provide a combination of quality, convenience and experience for
physical therapy services.
Trusted provider for physical therapy services by physicians and
patients for over eight years.
Dedicated staff that patients can rely on to be there, every visit,
every step of the way.
Accepting most insurances for patients.
Giving back to the community through academic and sports
sponsorships for area schools.
Continuing to provide the community with the highest level of care
in a state of the art facility.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO GROW WITH

THE DUTCHTOWN COMMUNITY IN THE COMING YEAR
IN A NEW FACILITY ON HIGHWAY 73.
WE WISH THE DUTCHTOWN AND
GEISMER COMMUNITIES A
HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
ALL NEW FACILITY ON HWY 73
OPENING IN JANUARY 2016!

Thank You Dutchtown

Stephen Jackson, PT, DPT

Your Community Physical Therapy Provider

36501 Mission Street, Suite A Prairieville, Louisiana 70769

225.744-3631 Fax 225.744.3647

21

YOUR ESTATE MATTERS

By Linda Melancon
according to numbers from the
ShopperTrak research firm.

Before You
Shop Till You
Drop
Before You Shop Till You Drop
With the holidays upon us, many
people are making their lists and
checking them twice for the best
deals of the season. Technology is
exponentially changing the way
that consumers do their
Christmas shopping, and
Black Friday has quickly lost its
holiday-deal dominance to Cyber
Monday due to the online
convenience of sleeping in and
skipping the traffic. This year
alone, shoppers spent more than
$5.1 billion online during the
Thanksgiving holiday, while
in-store sales were down more
than $1 billion from 2014,

Its no surprise to us, then, to see

an increase in online sales for
other consumer products as well
including estate planning services. Companies like
LegalZoom.com and
RocketLawyer.com offer
everything from wills to divorce
papers in a convenient and
relatively inexpensive manner.
But just because online options
are available and generally
cheaper than a local lawyers
fees, does that mean you should
use them?
Online estate planning
documents come with a high
element of risk for users in all
states. Because online legal forms
are commonly of the one size
fits all variety, users may
overlook the legal nuances of
each individuals unique
situation. While a client believes
theyve made all the necessary
arrangements for their familys
future, a crisis may then arise and
their documents be found
incomplete, inaccurate, or even
completely useless in their
hour of need.
In addition to the risks all users
face, Louisiana residents face
additional risks with online legal
services. Louisiana is a state

notorious for its unique estate

planning and administration
requirements. For example,
Louisiana has forced heirship and
a usufruct form of ownership
often used in estate planning.
Additionally, Louisianas trust law
is very different than the other
49 states. These differences are
often overlooked or treated
incorrectly in documents created
for mass use.
Most legal sites have disclaimers
to the effect that they dont
guarantee their documents will
meet a clients specific needs.
One even states that
information and opinions
received via the website should
not be relied upon for personal,
medical, legal, or financial
decisions. Why would you trust
your familys or loved ones
future to a website that disclaims
its ability to actually provide you
with what you need?
When considering how to plan
for you or your familys future,
the best thing that you can do is
find a local legal professional you
trust. Look for a lawyer who
takes the time to learn about
your individual situation, offers
options that you may have never
otherwise considered, and takes
steps to ensure that each
document is properly handled
to suit your needs.
For those who think they could
never afford a lawyers fees,
remember that the peace of mind
that comes with settling your
estate is worth the investment.

22

Additionally, you and your family

will develop a relationship with
someone who can be there to
guide you through difficult times
that often accompany disability
and death.
Commercial holiday shopping
may continue to highlight the
search for the best and most
convenient deal available, but
when it comes to estate planning,
the old adage remains true: you
typically get what you pay for.
While online shoppers for holiday
deals may risk their purchases
being a different color than they
had imagined, not fitting right,
including additional shipping
expenses or coming in the mail
after Christmas, clients of online
estate planning services risk
leaving their family with
unnecessary financial burdens or
reaching the end of their lives
only to find out that they do not
qualify for the benefits they need.
So, continue to enjoy online
shopping for your holiday
presents, but when the new year
comes and you resolve to protect
your family and loved ones by
completing your estate planning,
turn to local professionals who
are knowledgeable about estate
planning and can ensure you
of the right solution to fit
your needs.
Mrs. Melancon has engaged in the practice of
law in Louisiana for the past 17 years. The primary focus of her practice is estate planning,
special needs planning, elder law and probate.
She is also accredited by the VA to give advice
regarding veterans benefits. For more information, please contact her at 225-744-0027.
You may also visit her website at
www.LegacyCenterLa.com

23

Local Event Held to Benefit Brave Heart Children in Need

Roys Daiquiris hosted a

benefit for Brave Heart
Children in Need on Sunday,
Dec. 6 to collect items to help
comfort children who are

include hygiene items and a

Teddy Bear to hug.
More than 500 Teddy Bears
were gathered at the event, with
200 generously supplied by

experiencing the trauma of

being removed from their
homes due to abuse and/or
neglect. Brave Heart provides
age-appropriate backpacks that

26

Krispy Krunchy Chicken.

Drawings for various door
prizes raised an additional
$175!
Roy and Mary Robbins, along

with DeEtte Abshire, hosted

the successful event, featuring a
jambalaya lunch, sponsored by

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of

Louisiana and entertainment
from Norma Landry and The

River Rats Band.

Founded by Dee Robinson in
2004, Brave Heart Children in

27

Need serves 37 parishes across

Louisiana. It offers foster children hope and encouragement.

When children are removed

from their homes, sometimes
in the middle of the night,
they are only able to take the
clothes on their backs.
Brave Heart Children in
Need strives to give each
child the tools to build
self-confidence, tools to teach
them accountability by
ownership, and items for
comfort.
For more information about
how you can help these
children, visit
www.braveheartchildren.org.

28

Mikaylahs Tensas Adventure

The idea was actually born at the
end of my annual Thanksgiving weekend lottery hunt on the Tensas River
National Wildlife Refuge. As my partner and I were saying goodbye to the
owners of the Hunters Bend
Campground, Ms. Wanda Wallace
mentioned to me that I should come
to the refuges' National Hunting and
Fishing Day which was being held
next September. I've attended
Hunting and Fishing events on and
off since they were first established in
1972. The Tensas event provides an
opportunity that the others do not
offer. It allows all children under the
age of 16 that attend the event to
register for a chance to be drawn for
one of the two youth lottery deer
hunts on the restricted access section
of the refuge. As I left Tensas that
day, the thought of bringing my
granddaughter and grandson to the
event lingered in my mind throughout the following months.
The days of summer slowly passed
by and time to make a decision to go
to the outing came quickly after the
mention of the trip up north to the
young kids. The young boy was excited about the trip, but did not care
about the chance of the deer lottery
hunt. The girl, however was all about
the opportunity for the hunt and now
there was no backing out for me.
Now, the Tensas hunt was a long way
off and before I would make the trip
the girl would have to prove herself.
She would have to prove to me that
she could accurately shoot a high
powered rifle. A trip to the firing
range in August proved her shooting
skills were on target and that she had
no fear of the big gun.
The day of the event finally came
around and even though I'd had a
late night playing music with the
Wildlife Band, I loaded the gang up
that morning and headed north.
These events are totally focused on
the youngsters and it was spectacular.
You have to to sign up for the lottery
hunts and be there at the time of the
drawing which comes at the end of
the outing. As names were being
called the young girl paced nervously
back and forth and all of a sudden
Mikaylah Bordelon's name was called.
Her name was drawn for the
December 23rd lottery hunt date. We
fished on the river that evening and
spent the night at the camp celebrating in the light of a camp fire.
During the fall we made squirrel
hunts and made another trip to the

firing range. About five days before

the hunt date, she entered my house
and I asked "What's up"? She quickly
replied "Killing a deer, that's what's
up". The day to leave finally came and
we loaded the car and my pickup and
the three day journey began. After
arriving that evening the kids caught a
beautiful stringer of catfish for supper.
The next day was about a squirrel
hunt and a trip from the campground
to the refuge visitor center. The fire
that night was warm and the
Mawmaw had set the camp up with a
small Christmas tree. It was from
those lights that I saw that little head
bobbing and looking my way as soon
as the alarm sounded.
The weather forecast that day was
horrible and flashes of lightning
reminded us of that as we headed for
the meeting area.
It was about an hour after daylight
when our instructor whispered,
there's a yearling in that water about
fifty yards from us. His horns are just
breaking the skin. Why don't you
hold off on this one. The young buck,
approximately 80lbs, walked out into
the shooting lane and offered a
broadside shot. As he walked off,
knowing the weather forecast for that
day, I wondered if that might have
been our only chance. The morning
hunt ended at 10:00 and we headed
back to the visitor center after picking
up several other participants. Several
of the youngsters had killed, others
had missed and some had not been
offered a shot.
After lunch and several hours of
lightning rain, hail, wind and a torrential downpour, the hunters were
loaded into the trucks for the ride to
the evening hunt locations. As we
approached our location we noticed a
nice buck standing in the shooting
lane. He saw us and that was the end
of that. We had changed instructors
from that morning, from a refuge
manager to a young lady that volunteers each year for the event. We were
all getting to know each other when
two mature does walked out a mere
25yds in front of us. The deer saw us
before we saw them. The largest deer
had a tag in her ear and was wearing a
tracking device around her neck.
About the time the young girl was
about to squeeze the trigger, the deer
spooked and that opportunity had
slipped away. We all kicked our butts
for not paying better attention to the
reason we were there. Time was slipping away. Around four o'clock we

29

were all in some kind of a daze when

I noticed a beautiful buck broadside
in the middle of the lane to our left.
It was total chaos for a moment. The
buck started to walk across when the
instructor muttered the word "meh".
He stopped, the rifle fired and he left
the scene immediately. He left so fast
that I figured something had touched
him. There was so much mud and
water everywhere that it was hard for
me to find where he had stood at the
time of the shot. My first attempt to
find any sign of a hit was unsuccessful.
I returned back to the shooting blind
and we reaffirmed the event. My second trip down range verified big buck
tracks in the mud 105yds away from
the stand. I carefully followed the
tracks to where they entered the forest and found what I hoped to see. A
piece of lung was hanging on a small
branch and not far from that was the
blood trail. We had all been instructed
not to go looking for deer that had
been shot for safety reasons and so we
wouldn't mess up any signs that the
wildlife officials may need to track the
deer. I'm not very good at breaking
rules, but it was very hard not to go
find that buck knowing that darkness
was not far away. To make matters
worse it had started to rain again. I
sat there as I was instructed to do
until dark. When the wardens
approached, I brought them to the
blood trail that I had marked and they
took us back to the refuge center. The
refuge employees assured me that if a
deer was dead that they would find it.
They explained that they had ways of
tracking that most of us would never
know. After all, they use these skills to
solve illegal cases. They grabbed a
tracking dog and several of them set

out to different locations to find deer

that had been shot by a couple of the
young hunters.
Time seemed to pass ever so slow
as we waited for some good news.
After what seemed like an eternity my
granddaughter said, "Pawpaw they
have been gone a long time, I don't
think they are going to find him". I
pulled that piece of lung from my
shirt pocket and told her, "They
might not, but that deer is dead and I
could have found him". Well, it ain't
over till it's over and shortly after we
had that conversation, our instructor
received a phone call with the news
that we were waiting for. She smiled
at Mikaylah and said "they found your
deer!" After a short celebration and
an attitude change, she filled out her
buck tag and applied it to a 157lb five
point Tensas buck as soon as the truck
came to the check point.
First deer are first deer. They'll
never be another one like that for her.
This experience required a lot of time
and effort for everyone involved. That
was an adventure that we both will
never forget...
Till Next Time,
Start Em Young,
James "Goosie" Guice
Ascension Outdoors Air Times
THE PELICAN - CHANNEL 113
SAT. - 9:00 - A.M.
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MON. - 9:00 - P.M.
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WED. - 10:00 P.M.
FRI. - 8 - P.M.
IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN
ADVERTIZING PLEASE CALL
225-485-7997

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$25 off Initial Pest Control
Pest Prevention Programs Real Estate Certificates
Pre-Construction Soil / Borate Treatment
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Local Licensed Insured Bonded

225-644-7466 Ascension 225-924-7096 Baton Rouge

Website www.BeebesPest.com

The Farce Awakens or Dont Put My Love on No Elf

by Bill Delaune
Scene-A South Louisiana living
room on Christmas Eve.
Characters-The Kids-all ages from
1-92, in all shapes and sizes
Uncle Bill-A disillusioned dreamer
who is so lost in the past that he
held up a Help Mac Pack sign at
the last LSU football game.
Act 1
Kids (excitedly)-Uncle Bills
here! Uncle Bills here!
Kid 1-But how did you get
here, Uncle Bill? I didnt see your
truck drive up.
Uncle Bill-Well, in keeping with
the spirit of the season, I came by
sled this year. Two nice men
named Sean Payton and Alvin
Gentry drove me-both of them
having experience in leading
dog teams.
Kid 2-Tell us one of your
famous Christmas stories, Uncle
Bill-maybe the one about the great
reindeer heist of 2012 when you
and your siblings stole all the
wooden reindeer in the
neighborhood and put them in
compromising positions out by
Highway 73.
Bill-Oh, thats a good one all
right. But some people didnt see
the humor in the positions they
found the ornamental deer in the
next morning-especially the guy
who got rear-ended by rubberneckers in the plant traffic. He
got so mad he wanted to cut the
male deers Rudolph!
But this years story involves
some lost souls in need of a little
holiday spirit. And speaking of
spirits, let Uncle Bill do his part
for international relationships by
mixing a little French cognac and
some Cajun sugar cane whiskey
with this Pennsylvania Dutch
Eggnog and well get started
Once upon a time there were
three so-called Wise Men-all of
whom held positions of great
power in the kingdom. One was
named Jingle Bobby because his
favorite TV show was the Brady
Bunch Christmas Special.
The second was called Aleve Joe
because he claimed his stressful job
caused lots of headaches although
some say it was because he was a
pain in the as-pirin. The third was
simply called Bitter Dave.
Kid 3-Why was Dave so bitter,
Uncle Bill?
Bill-Well, some folks believed it
was because some of his party
playmates had dropped him faster
than a Ben Simmons breakaway
when he tried to take control of
the kingdom. Others say his
mood worsened when he was
defeated by a man whose middle
name was Bel.
Kid 1-Hey, that could be our

state Christmas song-Jindal, Bel,

Jindal, Bel, Vitters gone away
Bill-Clever, Will, but thats not
the song this trio was singing during this holiday season. It was
more like, Lost in the
Wilderness. You see these three
unhappy men were on a quest to
find the great Force in the
Universe that would make them
popular with the public again. But
in order to do so, they were
instructed to first seek out a great
Wizard who lived in McElroy
Swamp.
Kid 2-Begging your pardon,
Uncle Bill, but I believe your
mind- which is as antiquated as
LSUs power-I offense- has mixed
up about three different stories. I
know that Luke Skywalker found
the Jedi Master Yoda in a swamp
and embraced his inverted words
of wisdom but
Bill-And so
would our
trio find one
who spoke in
confusing
parables more
like Yogi than
Yoda but the
path would
not be easy as
everything
was not
okey-dokey
in the
Okefenokee
and our
travelers soon
lost their way.
Kid 3-Isnt
the Okefenokee Swamp in Florida?
Im getting very confused.
Bill-True, but I couldnt think
of any clever rhymes with
McElroy. But if you think
youre confused, listen to the
conversation our pilgrims were
having.
I think we should go in a different direction, said Aleve Joe.
No, lets just stay the course and
keep what we got. No, I think
we should change. No, scratch
that idea.
Do you ever make up your
mind on anything and stick to it?
chastised Bitter Dave. Well
never get anywhere with your
wishy-washy ideas. Just follow
me-Im a natural leader. Ill just
use my moral compass to find the
way. Ill show them who wouldnt
have lasted a day at West Point.
Jingle Bobby plopped down
under a cypress tree. Maybe Ill
just go back to med school and be
a doctor. Then all the people
would like the friendly country
physician.
That sounds great, snapped
Joe. But you cut LSUs budget so

much we had to close the med

school. And then you closed all
the hospitals so you wouldnt have
a place to work anyway.
Suddenly, from out of that very
tree, the Wizard they were seeking
appeared. Grinning like a
Cheshire Cat, wearing a white cap
from the Mad Hatter collection,
there could be no doubt this was
the Legendary Lucky Les.
Greetings, gentlemen. Would
have been here sooner but I was at
a Time Management seminar that
teaches you how not to be late for
a very important date, smiled
Les. What can I do for you?
Jingle Bobby wasted no time.
How did you swing public
opinion to your side in just a week
when it looked like you were a
gone pecan? I mean, I come
home from Iowa expecting a
heros welcome-not unlike Julius

Caesar- and the peasants are

circling my castle with torches and
pitchforks like the last scene from
a Frankenstein movie.
And why are you always so
happy? chimed in Bitter Dave
who hadnt smiled since leaving a
Bourbon Street establishment in
2007.
And how did I get cast in the
role of the villain, whined Aleve
Joe. Id go back to Duke but
theyd probably hit me with a
lacrosse stick.
Lucky Les listened patiently to
the threesome and then replied in
some sort of idiosyncratic babble
that Shakespeare might have
referred to as chop logic.
Against the underlying
backdrop of the recent situation,
the want to remain in my current
position forced me to, like a
Stradivarius violin, play the press
and administration to my
advantage.
Then, to sing the Alma Mater
off key in front of a National
audience with emphasis on the
final forever LSU
Well, a stroke of genius that

30

was- a gimmick you guys may

want to borrow from time to
time.
The Three Wise Men looked at
each other very confused.
Hell, my botched response to
the State of the Union Address in
2009, when I got compared to the
incoherent Kenneth the Page of
the comedy 30 Rock made more
sense than that, grumbled Jingle
Bobby.
Look, Lucky Les, lets stop this
insane rambling and get to the
point, said Dave who had once
led a 2-week filibuster. How do
we find this Force? Do we follow
a star in the East? Do we blow up
a Death Star?
Id rather the former, Joe
stated. No, the latter. No,
either, neither or both.
Close you are with your last
statement, lectured Les. To
follow your dream, you must seek
a Dead Star from the South who
resides in the Great Thunder
Dome. There you will find one
whose blue suede shoes I am not
fit to knock the artificial turf
off of.
Kid 1-Okay, Uncle Bill, let me
attempt to get this straight. I may
be more off target than a
Brandon Harris aerial but is this
combination of a Biblical story,
Star Wars, Wizard of Oz,
Alice in Wonderland and Mad
Max going to conclude in the
Superdome?
Bill-Youre quite astute, my lad,
because thats exactly where the
Three Wise Men ended up.
Thanks to Bitter Dave who knew
every nookie and cranny of the
Crescent City, the trio made their
way to the floor of the Great
Dome.
Now what do we do? asked
Joe who was not the best at
making command decisions.
We wait, said Jingle Bobby
who had waited for months to get
out of a junior varsity debate. The
wait was not that long.
From out of the Poydras Street
end of the Dome came an elderly
gent with an umbrella doing a
passable version of a New Orleans
dance called Second Line.
Bitter Dave was not impressed.
We risked life and limb to
come see an antique Archie
Bunker boogie around a football
field?
Watch your mouth, loser,
spouted the ancient one. Not
even the Saints could blow a lead
like the one you had in the polls
six months ago.
Are you the keeper of the
Force? Can you make people love
us again? sucked up Aleve Joe.
I am Obenson-Gone-

Kookooie, but I just dance here.

The one you seek is much smaller
but much greater than I.
Thats it, snapped Joe in a
rare show of emotion. Im done
listening to a senile old man who
cant even fire a coach without his
wifes permission.
Listen whos talking, you testicular-challenged wimp of a
Guys, guys, calm down. Its
Christmas. The voice came from
a small creature on a stage that
had been erected for an Aaron
Neville concert since the Saints
were mercifully out of town.
Im the one youre looking for.
The Three Wise Men drew
closer to the stage as Obenson
boogied off into oblivion to
behold an elfish being with a
Pompadour haircut clad in a red
jumpsuit unbuttoned to the navel
and three scarfs wrapped around
his neck.
Im Elfis, he began. I know
who you are and why youre here
so lets get right to it. Look,
fellows, if you dont want to have
a Blue Christmas, you have to
Follow Your Dream and drop all
this political nonsense.
For instance, Bitter Dave, you
still have a job to do in
Washington. Dont Be Cruel the
rest of your term. Forget about all
your rich lobbyist buddies and do
something for the working people
of your state. Like fix the roads
and get the old folks some

affordable medicine. And stay out

of those Heartbreak Hotels.
And Jingle Bobby, find some
money for education and health
services so people dont think you
have a Wooden Heart. You
certainly had no trouble raising
money when you were running for
President.
And as for you, Aleve Joe,
grow some cahoonies. Dont be a
Teddy Bear your entire life.
He handed each a scarf as he
spoke. These will help you wipe
away any negative thoughts anytime you get Suspicious Minds.
Now come over here and help
yourself to my Christmas buffet of
peanut butter and banana sandwiches and jelly doughnuts before
I leave the building. I have to get
back to the North Pole before
Donald Trump finds out Im in
the country.
Kid 2-That story started out
very strange but I sorta liked the
ending. Hey, Uncle Bill, didnt
Elfis have a song about wise men.
I think it started, Wise men say,
Only fools rush in
Bill- And I cant help falling in
love with all of you and especially
my faithful readers who put up
with me all year long!

Deer & Hog

Processing
Deboning Ground Meat
Fresh Sausage
Smoked Sausage
Green Onion Sausage
Italian Sausage
Cajun Sausage
Breakfast Sausage
Jalapeno & Cheese
available
Vacuum Packed

Custom Cuts
Available with
Deboning

Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year!

Tee Wayne's
Cajun Cooking
still offers
full-time,
full-service
catering.

Hey Dr. Rob?

Is there a age
limit for hunting
dogs?

For all your catering needs

call 225.806.FOOD

Come See Us at
Tee Wayne's Cajun Cooking
Now a Restaurant, too!!

39087 Hwy. 621, Gonzales,

La. 225.644.FOOD
225.644.3065 (fax)
Monday & Tuesday:
11am-2pm
Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday & Saturday:
11am-8pm

ASCENSION PA RISH

A N I M A L H O S P I TA L
225.7 44.490 5
31

Tee Wayne

Tyler

Ascension Catholic Girls Cross Country Team Recognized at Parish Council Meeting

Ascension Parish President Tommy Martinez presented parish certificates of recognition to members of the Ascension Catholic High School
Girls Cross Country Team at the Dec. 3 Parish Council meeting in Donaldsonville. The Lady Bulldogs are Class 1A State Champions. The
team, coached by Head Coach Rocky Capello and Assistant Coaches Janet Daigle, A.J. Thibodeaux and Kiley Spano took first place team
honors at the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA State Cross Country Championship held on Nov. 16 at Northwestern State University in
Natchitoches. Stephanie Breaux was individual state champion while Sophie Daigle was an individual bronze medalist. Shown from left to
right, front row: Mariana Cuervo, Breanna Bernard, Danielle Brou, Sophie Daigle, Stephanie Breaux, Whitney Eure, Ashleigh LeBlanc, Haley
Dupre, Marie Landry, Victoria Eure, Meredith Daigle and Catherine Eure. Second row: Councilman Oliver Joseph, Parish President Tommy
Martinez and Head Coach Rocky Capello. Third row: Councilman Travis Turner, Councilman Daniel Doc Satterlee, Councilman Dempsey
Lambert, Council Chairman Randy Clouatre, Councilman Todd Lambert, Councilman Chris Loar and Councilwoman Teri Casso. Not shown:
Danielle Giroir and Bailey LeBlanc.

WE COME TO YOU!

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32

Doug & Sally

That First
Guitar Feeling
By Brandt Bourque

If you ask any guitarist, from the

hobbyist to the most famous, they are
sure to be able to tell you the story of
their first guitar. Some may be stories
of horror and some may be stories of a
true blessing, but none-the-less they
are memories that will stay with the

player forever. Here is my insight and

my opinions on selecting the perfect
first instrument. Although this article
is directed more towards guitar, other
instrument purchases can follow a
similar form.
There are three main areas to look at
when selecting a new instrument:
sound, look, and feel. To the
advanced player, sound may be the
most important area. Their selection
can be driven by trying to fill a specific
need or situation, live or in the studio.
For the beginner, this should be one
of the last areas to weigh in on your
decision making. As you advance as a
player, you will learn what you like and

what you dont like. Sound is a very

subjective medium, and not everyone
will agree on what a good sounding
guitar is. Some people like the sound
of a Fender, while others favor a
Taylor...like myself.
Looks is another area that is
completely driven by our personal
taste. While most people may think
this is one of the least important
aspects of guitar buying, I believe that

it's nearly the top of the list. The way

things look can fuel our attitude and
emotions. We make decisions based
on looks everyday. Think about your
last car purchase. (Was it made strictly
on functionality? or Did looks play a
larger role?) In the same way,
selecting a guitar that is ascetically
pleasing is very important. We tend
to want to interact more often with
things that stimulate us visually. Id
bet that Steve Jobs would attribute a
large amount of Apples success to
their visually stunning and against the
grain
designs. A
guitar that is
attractive to
you will
make you
want to
practice and
play it more
often.
Most
beginners
that give up
early on
their dream
of playing an
instrument
do so
because of how hard it can be to
physically play as they are getting
started. But it doesnt have to be that
way. Selecting the right instrument for
your hands is extremely important
because the shape
and size of each
guitar neck can
vary. Finding a
guitar the is comfortable to hold
will bring you
hours of fun and
enjoyment,
instead of it
feeling like work.
Look for a guitar
with low "action", the height that the
strings sit off of the fingerboard or
playing surface. High action will
result in a very uncomfortable playing
guitar and will hinder you or your
child's ability to learn. Playability is
something that cannot be accounted
for when making an online purchase.
Your local retailer should be able to
fit you to the perfect instrument. Go
in and see them, ask questions and
"pet the animals"! (Try out a few
instruments). Remember, the first
instrument is a big part of your
playing career. It will set you on the
path to success with plenty of fun and
enjoyment, or it could cause your
dream to fade really
quickly. As always, we
invite you to stop by
Music Inc and say hello!
We are coming to an end
to 2014, which means we
will be finishing up our
45th year of helping
customers find their
perfect first instrument!

33

Thoughts from Bully

My Son
and I Have
Proof That
Santa Claus
Really Exist.
Oh wow! Santa Claus is coming
to town. Those words used to
excite me to no end and manipulate me to make all the right
decisions and not to do anything
wrong. Even a young 9 year old

has the brain capacity to realize no

one wants switches and ashes on
Christmas morning and I believe
that still today.
As exciting as Christmas was for
me as a kid it got even better as a
father and an adult.
As much fun as it was to have
my son to enjoy Christmas in his
very young years I couldnt wait
till he was old enough to mess
with and seal the deal that Santa
was truly real.
We had many fun episodes and
excitement and Id like to share a
few of those.
When Michael was old enough
to realize and understand that we
could play a trick on Santa and
trick him into falling for our trap,
I was really setting the trap for
my son.
At a young age he and I were
living in a house without a
chimney. The natural question
from him was, How is Santa
going to get in the house?
I simply responded he must be
using the front door. What about
it being locked?he exclaimed.
Simple, Santa is magic!

LLC

PROFESSIONAL RELIABLE EXPERIENCED

Its time to clean the rough and

tangled summertime beds and
prepare them for the fall season.

My company is large enough

to do the job right.
Its also small enough to
treat you right!

Ryan "Shake" Schexnayder

BEFORE

AFTER
Prairieville, La 70769 225.715.4594

34

After pondering the entrance of

the front door I suggested that we
put a big pile of Baby Powder at
the base of the front door. What
would that do Dad? When he
enters he will step in it and will see
his foot prints every where he
walked. Immediately, he looked at
me with a smile that would light
up a room. I think he ran so fast
to the bathroom to get the
powder he fell down shouting
back at me,Im alright! Then he
returned and we set the trap. A
giant pile of white powder covered
the entrance of the front door. He
then ran to the back door of the
house. I asked, What are you
doing? He replied, Headed to
the back door. Hes not getting
past me!
The trap was set for both Santa
and Michael and what a trap it
was. The next morning after a tiny
nudge while he slept like a baby.
He opened his eyes and before I
could tell him Merry Christmas he
jumped up and ran to the living
room. Unlike most kids he didnt
even look at the tree to see what
gifts he had. He ran straight to the
front door and then the back door.
With a giant grin on his face he
said, Santa is a front door man
not a back door man. There were
white powder foot prints that all
over the living room going back
and forth from the front door with
a pile of presents all around the
tree. He was so thrilled to know
we caught him in the act and then
it hit him to look outside to see if
where the foot prints lead. Sure
enough there were prints leading
down the side walk and a plastic
trash can at the corner of the
house had its lid crushed in. He
looked at the white prints on the
lid and then looked to the roof.
He ran into the front yard to get a
better look at the roof and what to
his wondering eyes should appear.
There were white baby powder
foot prints on the roof. He looked
at me, smiled and started spinning
in the yard with hands held high
screaming, He was here, he was
here! It was a magical morning
and you can never tell that boy to
this day that Santa isnt real. Hes
28 years old now.
The next year Christmas came
along and Michael had learned a
few things from me while hunting
deer with putting corn out on our
stands. He asked, Dad, do
reindeer eat corn? Seizing the
opportunity to educate him more
about catching Santa I informed
him rein deer like Fruitloops and
Chex trail mix and Rudolph goes
crazy over popcorn.
Since we caught Santa the year
before I suggested we set a trap for
the reindeer and Santas sleigh.
We started by painting signs to
place in the yard as a directional,
Santa Land Here with an arrow
pointing the way. Then we strung
Christmas light creating a landing
strip for Santa to land. The landing

strip included colorful pin wheels

at each corner to help Santa with
wind direction and wind speed.
The landing strip was about 20ft.
long and 4 ft. wide but had
to be placed in the yard to accommodate an easy landing around the
big pecan tree. Of course I had to
describe to Michael that Santa
would circle around the trees
across the street and swoop in and
land at the perfect angle we had
laid the lighted landing strip.
After the lights were set it was
time to bait the trap. Fruitloops
and Chex mix were ready to be
placed on the ground in the
positions of all the deer. I must
admit when he ask, Do all the
reindeer like the same thing? it
caught me off guard. However I
seized the moment to add a little
spice to our adventure. I told him
Dasher, Prancer and Cupid liked
more mix than Fruitloops and
Dancer, Vixen and Comet
preferred more Fruitloops and a
fewer Chex mix. Donder and
Blitzen were straight Fruitloops.
His next question sent us to the
internet. How do we know which
deer are in which positions?
Amazing enough the internet has
everything.
I then poured out some
unpopped popcorn on the ground
at the front and head position.
Michael looked at me asking why
the kernels and not popped
popcorn. It was a simple answer.
Rudolph likes fresh popped pop
corn and when Rudolph places his
magic nose to the ground the
popcorn will pop and it will be hot
and fresh for him. With a giant
smile he poured the entire jar at
the end of the landing strip.
We went inside and enjoyed all
the Christmas traditions and finally
I got him in bed. While sleeping
Santa came again on Christmas
Eve and the next morning he
almost head butted me jumping
out of his bed to check the
landing strip.
Sure enough Santa had landed.
There were skid marks in the
ground where the sled had landed.
The mixtures for all the deer were
crunched on and munched up.
The most magical thing was there
was popped popcorn everywhere.
Apparently when his nose touches
it not only pops its spreads out at
least 5 feet. There were deer hoof
prints in the ground and a note
thanking Michael for thinking of
the deer and thanks for the cookie
and milk for him. He immediately
began to spin and yelling, He was
here. He was here!
I miss those days of bringing
magic to my son but the magic
is set and will pass on from
generation to generation.
Years later Michael and I were
hunting around Christmas Day
and he said, Dad, Thanks for
being the best Santa Ever.
This is proof Santa is real and
Christmas dreams do come true.

Saturday Dec. 26 ... Mojeaux

FREE WIFI

Friday Jan. 22 Foret Tradition

Useless Random Facts

with Kellie

Monday Night

DJ MUSIC & KARAOKE

Most of Santas reindeer have male-sounding names, such as

Blitzer, Comet, and Cupid. However, male reindeers shed
their antlers around Christmas, so the reindeer pulling
Santas sleigh are likely not male, but female or castratid

Studies show that cows produce more milk when

listening to relaxing music

Chickens can see daylight 45 minutes before humans can.

The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees

out of dyed goose feathers

All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas

would equal 364 gifts.

According to the Guinness world records, the tallest

Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was
displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in
Seattle, Washington

The worlds largest Christmas stocking measured 106 feet

and 9 inches (32.56 m) long and 49 feet and 1 inch (14.97
m) wide. It weighed as much as five reindeer and held
almost 1,000 presents. It was made by the Childrens
Society in London on December 14, 2007

Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a

legal holiday, in 1907

Giraffes have the highest blood pressure of any mammal.

Libra is the only zodiac sign represented by

an inanimate object

In 1878, the first telephone book issued only had 50 names

Chinese judges in the 15th century used glasses with darkened lenses to hide their facial expressions in court.

Until coffee gained popularity, beer was the beverage

of choice for breakfast in most urban areas
of the United States.

Scraps of Christmas can make problems for you many times.

The Christmas scraps are responsible for 400,000 cases of
disease and sickness after the Christmas time

According to an old wives tale if you bake bread on the

Christmas Eve then it will be fresh forever. Its yet to be
known that how many people actually believe in this story
and how many of them have ever tried it.

$4 Naked Ladies
$2.50 Blue Moon Drafts

Tuesday

Wednesday

"Thirsty Thursday"

DJ MUSIC/KARAOKE

DJ MUSIC / KARAOKE
$5 Double Wells! 2 for 1 Bomb Shots Sp ecial $5 Bombs Coors Draft Combos

Your Choice Beer, Wine, Cocktails!!!

$3 from 8-11pm!!!

KARAOKE & DJ MUSIC

Friday

12/18 .. Chris LeBlanc

12/25 ... D.J. Dance Music
y1/1 New Years Day

1/8 .. Hi Maintenance
1/15 .. Debbie Landry

Rock Band

Saturday

12/19. Nashville South

12/26 Mojeaux
1/2 Titanium Rain

1/9. Matt Kayda Band

1/16. Contraflow

Every Sunday

SERVICE INDUSTRY NIGHT 2 FOR 1

DJ MUSIC & KARAOKE ... $2.75 Domestics!!

Come Enjoy Golden Tee and Ms. Packman

MEGATOUCH, AND POOL TABLES.
E V E R Y D AY A T H A P P Y H O U R ,
T R Y Y O U R L U C K A T R O L L - A - D AY !

L I K E U S O N FA C E B O O K

Visit our website:www.parkplaceofgonzales.com

1711 S. BURNSIDE GONZALES 644-8901

35

"BEST HAPPY HOUR IN THE AREA!

$2.75 DOMESTIC LONGNECKS!"

Grand Marshall
Mayor
Barney Arceneaux

Breakfast
Lunch & Dinner

Holiday Feast
Starting to take orders for

Fried and
Smoked Turkeys
Spiral Honey
Hams
Briskets &
Pork Roasts

FRANK II

622.5085

44253 Hwy. 42 ( 1 m i l e f r o m P o r t V i n c e n t )

37

FRANK III

38

30 Years of Top Notch Services

Braud Company Welding & Industrial Supplies

has been providing material to industries for over
thirty years. Our emphasis is on service.
We take pride in same day delivery and
customer service is always our number one
priority and we deliver ontime, everytime.
We have a well stocked walk-in sales counter
where you can purchase any quantity of an item.

Abrasives
Adhesives, Sealants & Tapes
Chemicals, Lubricants & Paints
Display Units
Electrical & Lighting
Electrical Tools
Fasteners, Clamps & Straps
Hand Tools
Oilfield
HVAC
Janitorial Equipment

Marking Tools
Material Handling
Measuring & Leveling Tools
MRO Supplies
Plumbing Equipment
Pneumatics
Pumps
Power Tools
Safety & Security
Welding Supplies

225.673.3370 Toll Free 888.269.4315 www.braudco.com

39

BIGGEAUXS
TIRES
NOW
OPEN
1 3 0 5 3 H W Y. 4 3 1 S T. A M A N T

24 Hr. Emergency Roadside Service

All tires from ATV to Commercial Machinery

All brands to fit autos, trucks and
18 wheelers, including tractor/
construction equipment tires

Emergency road service

assistance-Commercial Only
Locally owned and operated since 2004
New used and retreads
Great prices!

State-of-the-Art
Equipment

Locally Owned & Operated by

Oscar and Linda Mire and sons
Call for Appointment 225.644.8473
40

MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros

and their Five locations is a solid community.

These Kids Rock!

18562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473

1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-8103

41

MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros

and their Five locations is a solid community.

These Kids Rock!

18562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473

1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-8103

42

MAKING HIS LIST AND CHECKING IT TWICE

The only thing better than Skid Marks Tire Pros

and their Five locations is a solid community.

These Kids Rock!

18562 HIGHLAND DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, 225-751-8473

1312 WEST HWY. 30, GONZALES 225-647-9631 11209 COURSEY BLVD., BATON ROUGE 225-368-1234 1015 WEST LEE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE 225-767-5008 1800 SOUTH RANGE AVE. DENHAM SPRINGS 225-664-8103

43

Cooking
Gourmet at Home
with SNOS SEAFOOD & STEAKS

Ingredients:
6 mirlitons
1 lbs baby shrimp
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped bell pepper
2 tbls minced garlic
cup thinly sliced green onions
cup creole mustard
1 cups bread crumbs (more or less depending on your preference)
Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste. (2 tsp salt, 1 tsp
black pepper, tsp red pepper)

A great dish for this Holiday Season

Method:
Place the miriltons in a large pot and cover with water. Bring
the water to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until
tender. Drain in a colander and cool. When cool enough to
handle, half the mirlitons, peel, then remove the seeds and
cut into cubes.

Shrimp & Mirliton Stuffing (Chayote)

While the militons are cooking, cook your onions, celery, bell
pepper and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add the
mirlitons and shrimp and cook until shrimp are done (about
15 minutes). Remove from heat, then add the creole mustard,
green onions, bread crumbs and seasoning. Mix well.

Yield:
8 servings

Prep Time:
40 minutes
Executive Chef
Ben Jarreau

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a greased baking dish, evenly

spread your stuffing and bake for 20-25 minutes or until
brown. Sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Cook Time:
25 minutes

** Great stuffing for chicken, turkey, or pork**

45

The Inn at Houmas House

Plantation and Gardens

"The Great River Roads" newest and most elegant

bed and breakfast.
Our cottages are nestled along an alley of ancient oak trees, where you
will have full access to our world famous gardens to watch the sunset or
relax in a cozy spot and enjoy the gentle breeze from the Mississippi River.
The cottages depict historic structures that once graced Uncle Sam Plantation,
which was located downriver from Houmas House. Each room is complete
with a single king or queen size bed or double queen beds,
marble bathrooms, and a porch to enjoy the view.
Luxurious and romantic, each room is decorated with old world furnishings
allowing you to experience the lavish lifestyle of the wealthy Sugar Barons of
the early 1800's. With all the amenities world class travelers expect today.
Breakfast and a tour of the mansion are included.
Check In: 4pm Check Out: 11am.

Book Now Online www.houmashouse.com

or call (225) 473-9380.

46

40136 Hwy 942, River Road, Darrow, LA 70725

225.473.9380 kk@houmashouse.com