COMPLIMENTARY

APRIL 2019, VOL. 17 ISSUE 4

SEE PAGE 24
INDEPENDENT, ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE COMMUNITY

Life as it should Be.

Francois Bend offers different
levels of assistance to adults who
want to maintain their independence
but need extra support.

Amenities & Services

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• 24-Hour Security
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• Weekly Housekeeping and Linen Service ... 225-647-2363 (BEND).
• Transportation to Scheduled Appointments and Events
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326 East Industry Ave., Gonzales, LA 70737 • francoisbend.com

 Publisher / Editor
Mike Strong
Table of Contents
YOUTH LEGISLATURE ......... 4
Sales Manager
GONZALES GARDEN CLUB .... 8
Dottie Godberry
Staff Photographer SWEET EYES W/ TANYA...........12

Jimmy Dunkley CRAWFISH FESTIVAL....................24 FOR MORE INFORMATION

225.622.3262
BILL DELAUNE.......................... 30 www.riverparishfoods.com

Contributing Writers
JAMMIN’ WITH GOOSIE......... 32
Bill Delaune
THOUGHTS FROM BULLY......34
Linda Melancon
LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL ...43
Bully
Goosie Guice SNO’S RECIPE........................... 45

Orhan McMillan
Kellie Seymour
Tanya Stilley
Jimmy Dunkley
Patti Mouton
Jamie Lavigne
Andre’ Brock
Mariah Simoneaux

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

Feel free to contact me: E-mail demplambert@eatel.net • cell 225.715.0680 • 225.622.2703

3
Boys & Girls Club of
Greater Baton Rouge and debate bills.
Youth Legislature is a They lead and
two-day mock legislative serve on legisla-
session held at the Old tive committees
State Capitol in Baton and speak
Rouge, Louisiana. Each publicly before an
year more than 1,900 audience. The
middle school students Press gathers
throughout Louisiana and reports
come together to learn the information about
legislative process through Bills, Legislators,
hands on experience. Senators and the
Students participate in the Governors
process and procedures cabinet while
of Louisiana state photo journalist
government. This program document the
allows students to learn proceedings
the legislative process through photogra-
first hand. phy and videogra-
phy and post on
Students run for and elect social media.
a Governor, Speaker of
the House and Senate Youth Legislature
President. Through Youth provides students
Legislature, students with the experi-
have the opportunity to ence that sup-
participate in the entire ports and
legislative process. solidifies informa-
Students write, sponsor, tion studied in the

Students from Ascension Parish who attend St. George and Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic schools.

4
 classroom. Youth Legislature This event gives the students
Gonzales Middle students inducted into the Hall of Fame. Teachers Taylor Ford & Amanda Blouin

promotes and encourages the confidence they need to go

youth leadership characteris- on to participate in leadership
tics, participation, cooperation roles in high school and in
Chloe Robbins Senate Chaplain & Madeline Bobe House Sgt at Arms, Students inducted into the Hall of

and teamwork among peers. their community.

Fame from Ascension Christian Academy with teachers Trudy Bates and David Denham.

"The officers elected were Melanie Jones Secretary of Judiciary & Prison Affairs with the
Governor's Cabinet. Chloe Robbins Senate Chaplain & Madeline Bobe House Sgt at Arms

Governor elected Tayvian Allen. Tayvian Allen was also invited to give the invocation at the Boys & Girls Hall of Fame Students from Galvez Teachers John McGrew, Derra Landaiche and Jacy Zerinque
Club Youth Legislature Passport to Manhood Luncheon at City Club. Also shown Hannah Erickson from

HWY 30

2304
S. Burnside Ave. BURNSIDE

X
Ste. 2

• No appointment necessary
but they are available
• Most insurances accepted
Walk-In Family Medicine

Richard J. Caro, M.D. • Sarah Chavez, M.D.* • Peter J. Monteyne, M.D.

* Se Habla Espanol
Affordable Care, Handled URGENTLY
Caring for Ascension Parish Monday - Friday 7am - 5pm
for Over 40 Years www.caroclinic.com • 225.647.6533
2304 S. Burnside Ave Ste. 2 • Gonzales. Louisiana
5
 St. Theresa Hall of Fame large group, teachers Sean Woolworth, Tori Schexnayder, Betsy Holtzclaw
& Micah Ballow, Officers: Ellen Adcox-Press Secretary/Secretary of State & Grace McGibboney
Secretary of Health & Welfare & Secretary of Commerce and Technology

Youth Legislature began in

1978 and this school year
Paula Braud,
more than 1,900 students
Program Director
Students inducted into the Hall of Fame with Teachers, Barry Boies, Annie Sibille and Kristy Chique
from 50 schools in 15 Boys & Girls of
parishes will participate.
Students elected to office: Logan Laborde- Governor, Peyton Folse- Senate President,Lillian Laborde Sgt. at Arms
Greater Baton Rouge

For more information and

dates for this years program
Phone: 225-383-3928

contact:
youthlegislature@yahoo.com
www.youthlegislature.org

St. Amant Hall of Fame teachers Ana Deville and Michelle Causey
Shelby Hill Secretary of Transportation & Development with the Governor's Cabinet
Second Photo is Logan & Peyton in the officer shot with Riley Ewin from Episcopal School in BR.

3005 W. Cabela’s Parkway, next to Cabela’s • 225.450.6844 • LouisianaCasualLiving.com

6
For All Our Information & Services: franksrestaurantla.com • 225.677.5545
7
 Pictured from left at Richey’s home are Mary Jo Pohlig, Jamie Trisler, Rita Bourque, Lorretta Ramirez, Sandy Stewart, Janis D’Benedetto, Dana Teepell, Gwen Heck,
Dale Bowman, Myra Mire, Marilyn Rice, Cynthia Cagnolatti, Barbara McCormick, Janis Poche, Patti Mouton, Mariah Simoneaux, Norma Bertaut and Conchita Richey.

Shown here are Harlan and Janis Poche’s spread of fruit trees, vegetables and herbs in raised beds among the trees. There is a large four-section compost bin in the far
right corner of the property. Out of sight are iris beds and a well organized port of landscape tools and maintenance equipment.

Local Ladies Host

Garden Hop
The Gonzales Garden Club
held a refreshing “garden hop”
on March 27, a lovely spring
morning. Members Conchita
Richey, Lorraine Gautreau and
Janis Poche generously
opened their patios and
landscapes to the club for the
tour, which was coordinated by
Janis D'Benedetto. Richey is
known for beds of seedling
propagations and lush
container creations, Gautreau
for her large patio pottings and
cuttings to share, and Poche
for her acreage of raised beds
and unique border plantings.
The day was as educational as
it was entertaining with so
many varieties of annuals,
perennials, shrubs and trees to
admire. The club will likely plan
garden tours in the future.
Here is Richey’s sunny morning garden.

Poche’s greenhouse still has many plants in it. Richey has many shade plants to take care of.

8
 GGC Member Marilyn Rice created a horizontal-line
floral design in an oval, fluted ceramic bowl using plants
from her home garden: blooming bridal wreath,
Peggy Martin climbing roses, pittosporum stems
and Chinese ground orchids.

cension Parish Home Vegetable Garden

Ascension County Agent Mariah Simoneaux
supplemented her talk on common garden problems
and solutions with free publications from the LSU
AgCenter. GGC Member Cynthia Cagnolatti,
at right, listens.
Contest that is held every May.
Interested participants should call Mariah
Simoneaux at the Ascension Parish
LSU AgCenter Office at 225-621-5799
by Friday, April 26, 2019.
Member Marilyn Rice presented
Gautreau loves all types of begonias.
a horizontal-line floral design of

blooming bridal wreath, Peggy

Conversation with Martin climbing roses,
pittosporum stems and
the County Agent Chinese ground orchids. The
horticultural hint was that March
The Gonzales Garden Club enjoyed a is a good time to divide
“Conversation with the County Agent” at perennials. Extra divisions can
its March meeting at the home of Club be given away or used to ex-
President Jamie Trisler on March 6th. pand garden beds. The garden
LSU AgCenter Associate Extension Agent tip was to prune azaleas after
Mariah Simoneaux answered the group’s the blooms fade using sharp
many gardening questions. Most topics tools, then feed with Gautreau propagates kalanchoes and freely shares cuttings.
addressed insects, weeds and fertilizers. 12-6-6 fertilizer.
She brought publications and handouts
for the members and promoted the As- The hostesses served a luncheon of
chibatta paninis, mediterranean pasta,
potato salad, pickles
and Chantilly
strawberries along with
a variety of desserts.
The garden club’s next
function is its annual
flower show on April 3
at the Gonzales library.
The public is
encouraged to view it
and vote for the
People’s Choice Award.

Hosting the Gonzales Garden Club’s March meeting were (from left) President
“The Gonzales Garden Club

Jamie Trisler, Pam Fiegel, Lorraine Gautreau, Sandy Stewart, Janis Poche,
is federated by

Janis D’Benedetto and Priscilla Monson. The GGC enjoyed a light spring lunch.
National Garden Clubs, Inc.”

Cynthia Cagnolatti and Janis Poche react to the county

agent’s response when asked “What’s the strangest Associate Member Myra Mire, left, sat with
question that you’ve ever been asked from a citizen From left, Members Conchita Richey, Janis D’Benedetto, Lorraine
Gautreau and Marilyn Rice enjoyed the county agent’s Q&A session. Member Loretta Ramirez to hear the
caller about gardening advice?" conversations about gardening questions.

9
 It’s time to
plant spring
vegetables.
If you haven’t planted your spring
vegetable garden yet there is still
plenty of time. While you may not
have the first ripe tomato on the
block, you will still have ripe
tomatoes at some point and really
that’s all that matters.
When selecting a location for your
garden consider these three fac-
tors: sunlight, water and drainage.
A vegetable garden should re-
ceive at least six to eight hours of
direct sunlight. Select the sunni-
est location in your yard for the
best vegetable production. Wa-
tering your garden is also critical,
especially the first two weeks
after seeding or transplanting and
during bloom initiation. Place
your garden near an outdoor
faucet to make watering easy. If
the location of your garden has
poor drainage consider building
raised beds.
When purchasing plants at the
nursery or garden center choose
healthy looking transplants. In-
spect the plants to ensure they
are free of insects and signs of
disease. If you purchase more
seeds than what you can use,
store them in the refrigerator or
freezer until the next growing sea-
son.
Tomatoes are the most popular
vegetable found in home gar-
dens. They can be planted
through the end April for harvest
during the summer. Be conscious
of the type of tomato you choose
to plant. Determinate varieties
make a short, bushy plant, while
indeterminate varieties make a
traditional, vine like plant. Inde-
terminate tomatoes have a longer
harvest season, producing fruit
throughout the summer, and re-
quire a little more maintenance.
Sweet and hot peppers are an-
other favorite among home gar-
deners. Try to have your bell
Mariah Simoneaux
peppers planted by mid-May. Hot
peppers can be planted into the
month of June. Peppers are a
great option for beginning garden-
ers as they generally tend to have
fewer disease and insect issues
than tomatoes. They are also a
great choice for gardeners who
are short on space and can easily
be grown in a large pot on a patio
or balcony.
Snap beans are best planted as
seeds March through mid-May.
Many different varieties of bush
and pole type snap beans are
available to gardeners. Both are
easy to grow and extremely pro-
ductive. Try planting a few differ-
ent varieties to determine what
you like best.
Squash are typically one of the
first vegetables to be ready for
harvest in the summer. Several
varieties of summer squash grow
well in Louisiana. Seeds of patty
pan, scallop, yellow straightneck,
yellow crookneck and zucchini
can be sown mid-March through
May for summer harvest and
again in August through mid-Sep-
tember for fall harvest.
No spring garden would be com-
plete without cucumbers. Cu-
cumber seeds can be planted THE HATCHLINGS ARE ON SALE!
now through the summer months.
They are one of the easiest veg-
etables to grow and will continue
to produce when temperatures in-
crease. Select either a thin-
skinned slicing type or a
thicker-skinned pickling type of
cucumber for your garden.
Mariah Simoneaux is the Horticul-
ture Agent serving Ascension and
Assumption Parishes. For more
information or to receive a copy of It’s Planting Time!
the LSU AgCenter Louisiana Veg-
etable Planting Guide contact
Mariah at MJSimoneaux@agcen-
ter.LSU.edu or visit the LSU Ag-
Center website at
LSUAgCenter.com.
125 South Burnside • Gonzales • 225-647-2448
Mon-Sat 8 to 6 • Like Us on Facebook • sacsinc.org

Health –
This has been an unseasonably
warm spring Ascension, which
makes me “spring” into skin
protection mode. If we don’t
protect our skin, then too often
we have to grab the aloe and
Tylenol for some quick relief.
So, first things first – use a
sunscreen. Those with zinc are
best. I prefer elta md broad
spectrum UVA/UVB
sunscreen. This line comes in
all types of coverage levels and
for full body or face. What
makes this sunscreen different?
Well, the critical component in
this line is zinc oxide, which
gives the skin a natural
protection. No thank you
chemical sunscreens!
It may cost a bit more but zinc
oxide sunscreens like elta md
boast zinc that provide: natural
skin protection preventing
burns, epidermal and wound
healing, skin oiliness, infections
and acne. Of course all
sunscreens provide protection
from burning, but this one is
natural and may actually
provide additional soothing
and healing properties.
You can find the elta md line
online and at finer drugstores.
Beauty –
I recently had a fab facial and
the place I went used a product
luminous glow. Great thing is it
has a ‘self adapting’ pigment
that allows most skin tones to
use this one color product.
Despite it having a hefty price
tag, this under eye “cure” has a
cult following, and is worth
the price tag. You may find
this product online or at
finer outlets.
A Moment
to Reflect-
Easter is here, and it’s not about
bunnies or colored eggs. It’s
about our risen Savior, Jesus.
This “holiday” is as special as
Christmas in my family, because
we celebrate the fact that our
Savior defeated death, and if we
believe in Him, we defeat death
as well.
line from
Barcelona
called Natura
Bisse’. I’d
never heard
of it, but I
must say the
products
made a
difference in
my skin.
One product
in particular
called The
Cure Sheer
Eye ab-
solutely
made my
eyes feel
and look
refreshed.
All you need
is just a dot
of this
slightly
pigmented
eye cream to fight the look of So, as you cut the ham, boil the
fatigue. bugs, and hide the eggs this
Easter, take time to remember
This cream offers hyaluronic why we celebrate this blessed
acid, (abundant in younger event. Thank God that if we
skin) which hydrates the skin believe in Him, we do not
and water ivy and Ruscus which have to perish, but have
calm and decongest the skin, everlasting life.
ultimately minimizing the look
of dark circles and puffiness. Happy Easter Ascension!
This “cure” cream actually
repairs the skin while giving a
13
BASF and Louisiana Art & Science Museum
Enter Ninth Year of Kids’ Lab Partnership
East Baton Rouge Schools Superintendent Warren Drake creates chemistry alongside LaSalle Elementary School
students in BASF Kid's Lab Energy Loves Produce.
For the ninth year, BASF and
the Louisiana Art & Science
Museum (LASM) will create
chemistry by offering BASF
Kids’ Lab workshops to area
schools and the public. As in
previous years, support of
LASM is part of the company’s
ongoing effort to promote and
enhance science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM)
education and encourage
children to explore the
connections between
chemistry and the world
around them.
The Kids’ Lab program is open
for children ages 6 – 12 and
their accompanying adults
on the second and fourth
weekends of every month.
Program topics change
monthly and range from DNA
extraction in “Chemistry is
Bananas!” to creating slime
with “Playful Polymers.”
“Kids always seem to have a
sense of wonder. Through the
interactive Kids’ Lab program,
BASF and LASM spark that
sense of wonder by pairing
chemistry with fun,” said Chris
Witte, BASF Senior Vice
President. “BASF Kids’ Lab is
LASM. In addition, over 11,500
weekend visitors have enjoyed
these BASF workshops and
interactive demonstrations.
“I had the privilege to work and
learn alongside the students of
LaSalle Elementary during this
wonderful program," said
Warren Drake, East Baton
Rouge Parish School
Superintendent. "The level of
intelligence and creativity that
students displayed in the
experiment was truly
astounding. The workshop
helped them connect their
classroom experience with
the real world and that is what
inspires lifelong learning. I
cannot thank BASF enough
for their sponsorship of this
excellent program.”
More information on BASF
Kids’ Lab at LASM is available
about encouraging students to participated in Kids’ Lab at at www.lasm.org.
enjoy and pursue their
interests in science and
explore career possibilities
in the field.”
In addition to the Kids’ Lab
workshops, BASF sponsored
more than 400 hours of pop-up
programming at LASM in 2018
along with providing free
admission to 875 visitors dur-
ing Free First Sunday
in October.
“We are very fortunate to have
the partnership with BASF,"
said Serena Pandos, President
& Executive Director of the
Museum. "We share a vision to
inspire our audience to take up
the pursuit of science and are
so grateful that BASF sponsors
so many of our programs.
Their generous commitment to
STEM education provides
access and opportunity for
students and families to
learn together.”
Since 2011, approximately
14,500 fourth graders, nearly
1,000 teachers and more than
2,600 adult chaperones from
Ascension and East Baton
Rouge Parish schools have
2019 Jambalaya Pageant
Would you like to become the
next Teen or Miss Gonzales
paid trip to France through
the Gonzales Committee of
Jambalaya? Looking for girls Cultural Affairs paid for by the
between the ages of 14-17 to Jambalaya Festival
compete for the title of Teen Association. She will also have
Miss Gonzales Jambalaya and the opportunity to compete in
girls between the ages of the Louisiana Association of
18-23 to compete for the title Fairs and Festivals Pageant
of Miss Gonzales Jambalaya. along with many other festival
The pageant will be held June queens from around the state.
8, 2019 at the Gonzales Civic If you are interested, please
Center. The winners of these visit www.jambalayafestival.net
two titles will represent the for rules, regulations and the
City of Gonzales and the application or call Katie
Jambalaya Festival across the Battaglia at 225-715-0898.
great state of Louisiana at
many of the states fairs and
festivals. They will also attend
many local events including
the Jambalaya Festival, the
Gonzales Christmas Tree
Lighting, the Gonzales
Christmas Parade and
many more. The 2019 Miss
Gonzales Jambalaya Queen
will also win an all expenses

2305 S. Purpera Avenue, Gonzales, LA • 225.644.1028

15
Dutchtown Physical Therapy Proud Sponsor of Dutchtown Primary.
Community
Professionals
Visit Dutchtown
Primary School
Kindergarten students at Dutchtown
Primary School were recently treated
to a couple of visits from different
professionals in our community.
Smile Stars Pediatric Dentistry
brought their mascot Jeremiah to
share about proper oral hygiene,
healthy eating habits and how fun
their visit with the dentist can be.
The students participated in a healthy
eating habits activity to learn how to
keep their teeth healthy and strong.
Stephen Jackson, PT, DPT
(225) 744-3631 • fax (225) 744-3647
DUTCHTOWN PHYSICAL THERAPY • 13053 HIGHWAY 73, SUITE B • GEISMAR, LOUISIANA 70734
The students received a bag of treats
to encourage their oral hygiene
habits. Students also had a visit from
one of our favorite meteorologists,
Steve Caparotta, from WAFB. The
visit came at the perfect time as
students are currently learning about
weather and temperature. Not only
did Mr. Caparotta discuss fun facts
about the weather and various
weather tools, he also taught
students how to stay safe during
severe weather. Students were
amazed as he also shared pictures
and videos on Hurricane Katrina,
tornadoes, and lightning strikes.
Dutchtown Primary School thanks
Smile Stars and Steve Caparotta for
sharing their expertise with the
school and students.
Visit our website at dtphysicaltherapy.com
"Your Community
Physical Therapy
Provider" for
over a decade.
16
Dates to Remember!
State Testing
LEAP 5th – 8th Grades -
April 25, 26, 29, 30 and May 1, 2
LEAP 3rd - 4th Grades -
April 29 -May 3
Dutchtown Primary School
Drama Club presents
Disney’s Aladdin Jr.
May 9th, 10th and 11th
May 16th Field Day for Grades 3 – 5
May 17th Field Day for Grades K – 2
May 21st 5th Grade Bash
and 2:30 Dismissal
May 22nd 1:30 Dismissal
May 23rd 12:30 Dismissal-
Last Day of School
FINANCIAL FOCUS
Fixed Annuity
Could Help
Extend
Lifespan of
Retirement
Accounts
It’s almost impossible to save too
much for retirement. After all, you
could spend two, or even three,
decades as a retiree. And
retirement is not cheap – even if
you maintain a relatively modest
lifestyle, some of your expenses,
especially those involving health
care, may continue to rise over
the years. Consequently, you will
need several sources of reliable
income – one of which might be
a fixed annuity.
Fixed annuities are essentially
contracts between investors and
insurance companies. When you
purchase a fixed annuity, the
insurer will guarantee the
principal and a minimum rate of
interest. This means the money
you invest in a fixed annuity is
designed never to drop in value.
(However, this guarantee is based
on the claims-paying ability of the
insurer that issues the annuity.)
You can structure a fixed annuity
to pay you for a certain number of
years or for your entire lifetime,
which is the route many people
choose. This is advantageous not
only because of what it provides
you – income for life – but
because it also may allow you to
take out less money each year
from your other retirement
accounts.
Jamie Lavigne, Financial Advisor
4600 Sherwood Common Blvd, #103 • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6609 • 225.292.4971 (O)
Hey Dr. Rob,
Where is that
Here’s some background: Once needle going?
you turn 70½, you are required to
begin taking withdrawals from
your traditional IRA and your
401(k) or similar employer-spon-
sored retirement plan. (This
requirement does not apply to
Roth IRAs.) You must take out a
minimum amount, based on your
age and account balance, but you
are free to exceed that amount
each year. But the more you
withdraw from these accounts,
the faster they are likely to be
depleted. So, when you reach
retirement, it’s a good idea to
establish an appropriate annual
withdrawal rate, based on your
retirement plan balances, Social
Security, lifestyle, longevity
expectations and other factors.
You may want to work with
a financial professional to
determine a withdrawal rate
that’s suitable for your needs
.
If you can count on the income
from a fixed annuity, you might be
able to take out less each year ASCEN SION P ARISH
from your traditional IRA and
401(k), giving these accounts A N I M A L H O S P I TA L
more tax-deferred growth
opportunities. Plus, if you don’t
withdraw all the money from 225.744.4905
these accounts during your
lifetime, you can include the
remainder in your estate plans.
A fixed annuity’s potential to help
you extend the lifespan of your
IRA and 401(k) can clearly be of
value to you. Still, a fixed annuity
does carry some issues about
which you should be aware, such
as surrender charges for early
withdrawals, along with other
fees. Also, if you take withdrawals
before you reach 59½, you likely
will face a 10% penalty. And
annuities can have tax implica-
tions, so before you start taking
withdrawals, you will want to
consult your tax advisor.
Is a fixed annuity appropriate for
you? There’s really no one correct Crawfish are Starting
answer because everyone’s
situation is different. However, if to Come In!
you consistently max out your IRA
and 401(k) contributions, and you
still have money left to invest for
• Oysters By the Sack
retirement, you might want to
• Fresh Shrimp
think about an annuity. An income
stream you can’t outlive – and
• A Wide Variety
that may help you protect your
of Fish and Seafood
other retirement accounts – is
worth considering.
• Snow Crabs
• Turtle Meat
Ask for Sally’s stuff crabs.
Doug & Sally
You’ll love them.
17

The Search for the “Atlantis”
of Livingston Parish
‘Canewood Settlement’
By Murphy Painter
I am presently 65 years old
and have been a local Indiana
Jones want to be since John A
“Buddy” Gonzales brought me
and his son Randy “on my first
bottle hunt at the mouth of
Blind River and Lake
Maurepas in the 1960’s, long
before the movie ever came
out. Civil War battle fields, old
homesteads, trash dumps, all
places to find that treasure
either of real value (money) or
of sentimental nostalgia of
days of old of what the good
old days was like.
Rumors of hidden treasures
has been the source of 1000’s
of movies, documentaries,
barroom BS for as long as the
human race has place value
on belongings and tales of
those things disappearing or
being lost. The first real local
treasure story I was ever
introduced to was about lost
gold in or around Galvez town
on Hwy 42 in Ascension Parish
near the mouth of Bayou
Manchac. Folklore has it that
lost Spanish goldwas buried
around this once sprawling
settlement, hidden for anyone
of a couple of reasons to later
unfold. With an investigative
mind and very little greed in my
bones my adventures have
mostly been searching for what
is true and what is false in
these tales and not the
treasure.
There are so many stories
intertwined in this tale which
could be a book by itself. I feel
the need to put an aside here
for not too many people living
today realizes what went on in
Bayou Manchac and the Amite
River, in geological time, not
that long ago. Before the War
of 1812, Bayou Manchac
during high water was
navigable by large vessels of
the day all the way from the
Amite, near Galvez town to the
Mississippi River. It was an
Indian shortcut, first shown to
Iberville, around 1700, as a
better route to New Orleans
than fighting the raging waters
of the mighty Mississippi in
the Spring.
The Federal Corp of
Engineers, doing the War of
1812, use the threat of a
surprise attack on New
Orleans by the British as their
reason to dam it up at its
confluence with the Missis-
sippi. Allegedly the truth was
that the merchants and political
powers in New Orleans didn’t
want anyone bypassing New
Orleans to go up the
Mississippi. (That issue sounds
ironically familiar as to why we
have been studying a loop
around Baton Rouge for 50
years with very little action.)
Then again, beginning around
1890, as many as four steam
boats operated on the two
rivers until around 1930, as the
highways bring food and goods
to the people living there while
also bringing to market the
goods that they produced and
sold. To give you an idea of the
size of these boats, one article
describes the boat Alice as
having 22 hands including the
Captain. That is a pretty
good-sized boat.
Now back to the main story. A
few years ago, a unnamed
friend of mine, on his death
bed shared a story of finding
what appeared to be the
18
lected from “the old people”
1915-1940.
“The old Spanish trail on the
way to old Fort Galvez (This is
Galvez town) about two miles
away had passed through our
front yard. Time and time
again, I heard the older Hood
men and my brothers and Mr
Ollie Hood tell of an old
moss-covered vault that they
would run up on back in the
Amite River Swamp on or near
Bayou Wrinkle. It seems that
every time they happened
upon it they had nothing with
which they could dig or get into
it. Mr Ollie Hood told me some
of these things himself, or I
heard him talk about it
as a child.
My stepfather told us the
remnants of a brick foundation
legend was, and I have since
in the woods on the North bank
gained from history and
of the Amite, near Galvez
research and it sounds
town. Thinking he may have
plausible if not probable to me:
been delirious or just mistaken
The old trail that branched off
I half heartily started looking
Texas and old Natchitoches
for a tie to someone who now
Fort to Florida went south to
had possession of this land
the Amite River and old Fort
and may have seen what he
Galvez, where they loaded the
was talking about. It took a few
boats for Spain back down the
years but finally I was told by
river, to Lake Pontchartrain
an man whose family was from
and the Gulf of Mexico.
Galvez town, at a Louisiana
Archaeological Society
The story that was told to me
meeting in Baton Rouge, that
was that the carts loaded with
this sounded like the old lost
gold brick or possibly silver,
settlement of Canewood.
became mired in the swamp
on the old trail and they had to
For one who tries to never be
unload the bars and stack
upstarted by anyone, it was
them up and build the vault
hard for me to admit that I had
over them of adobe brick.
never heard of Canewood, and
When the Indian slaves
that neither had the few
finished building the vault, the
hundred people I had
Spaniards poked their eyes
questioned since my friend told
out, so they could never come
me his secret tale. I assume,
back to show someone where
wrongly, that he was alluding
it was at, and the Indian slaves
to this being the rumored
swore a curse on it that no one
Galvez town treasure site.
who ever came on it could ever
Quickly this precious man from
find it when they were really
the LAS meeting sent me two
looking for it”.
sources mentioning this
Canewood settlement.
Well my friends, if that is not
Interested yet? Another side
the root of a good Indiana
story please.
Jones adventure, I certainly
don’t know where you would
Once I was able to hear the
ever find one. Just so happen,
word Canewood for the first
my friend, on his death bed,
time, all of a sudden, the earth
swore a very similar story. Not
opened up with story after
ever knowing this friend to lie
story of the hidden treasure not
or exarate the truth (That’s a
being on the Galvez town side
lie) even more lends to his
of the river but on the northside
story being authentic at least.
of the Amite at Canewood. The
(However, I am pretty sure he
following is a description found
was hunting on private
in a sort of book compiled by a
property, which he had no
Fred (Freddie) B Shelton from
permission to be on) When he
the Gates Community,
first found the adobe brick
Livingston Parish (Gates is
foundation, he used his foot
now the area around Felder
and then a branch he tore off a
Cemetery) of stories he col-
tree to scrape, what he
described a two foot by two-
foot square of bricks, obviously
extending much farther in each
direction than the 2’x2’ part he
could see.
Thinking it may have been an
old road bed or a fireplace
foundation of an old
homestead he quickly stopped
when his branch broke in
two and his boots covered
with debris, he made a
mental note of the location
due to nothing available to
mark it any better.
Due to the lack of permis-
sion and opportunity and
only after hearing about
the possibility of treasure
being buried around this
area, it took him a few
years to get back to his
hidden spot. Upon his
return, retracing his earlier
path, he found recent
earthworks covering his
hidden spot, now really
hidden by a bulldozers
blade. I made a promise to him
that I would search for any in-
formation of what may have
been in that area to leave
adobe bricks but never re-
ceived the information on
Canewood until after his death.
Then as life usually gets in our
way of conquests, it took me
another year or so to find the
Canewood information and
location, (corresponding ex-
actly where my friend said he
found the bricks) and then
finding someone friendly to
allow me to go on the private
property to search.
The Livingston Parish History
Book printed in 1986, de-
scribed Canewood as follows.
“In April, 1771, a ship arrived at
where Port Vincent now stands
and dropped anchor about
1 ½ miles upstream from there.
Settlers and supplies were
unloaded and the clearing of
forest to make a place to live
began. Along the banks of the
tranquil Amite River, once
flourished the British
Settlement of Cane wood.
Sturdy English families worked
day after day to fell trees, build
shelter, put up fences, and all
carved out of a virgin forest
that until that time had hardly
been walked on by white men.
Indians, plentiful in that area
then, frequently passed the
site of the settlement before
the arrival of the British, and
may even have camped there.
From 30 to 50 British families
lived there at the time of the
settlements demise in 1778.
The demise of the settlement
is almost as tale telling as the
carts loaded with precious
metals. Again, found in the
Livingston History Book is the
following. “What finally became
of the 150 or so people who
lived for almost seven years in
one of the most promising of
the British experiments? The
fate of this lost chapter of
Livingston’s history lay in the
hands of a most unusual
character, storekeeper
James Willing, a native of
Philadelphia, had come to
Natchez Mississippi around the
time Canewood was founded.
He was not very successful in
Natchez and when his
business was failing, he
abandoned it in favor of be-
coming a Captain in the
US Navy.
Captain Willing convinced the
Continental Congress to
sanction him to raid the British
Land Possessions now known
as the Florida Parishes of
Louisiana. In 1777 and 1788,
Willing operated up and down
the Mississippi River from
Natchez to Bayou Iberville
(Manchac) raiding and stealing
anything he could, from the
British loyalists who owned
and operated the plantations.
During the 1778 tenure,
knowing about the British
Settlement Canewood, Willing
found the water level that
spring to be high enough in
Bayou Iberville (Manchac) for
his larger boats to navigate
and headed to Canewood.
The families hearing of his
approach took what they could
and retreated across the Amite
and settled on the Spanish
side a mile or so farther west,
up river just south of the
19
confluence of the Iberville
River. (Bayou Manchac)
So here is a documented tale
of the first time the US
government basically
sanctioned a pirate, to operate
as a part of the US Military
operations. The next time,
during the War of 1812, pirate
Jean Lafitte, would leave a
greater mark in Louisiana
history because of the
magnitude that battle played
in US history.
So, my favorite little community
of Canewood, died as a British
Colony, even though if it had
been left alone, it probably
would have prospered and
remain today. Instead we have
and know Galvez town. Few, if
any, present-day residents
know of tis drama that took
place near them over 240
years ago”. It also it create a
good argument that the
Spanish Settlement of Galvez
town was actually founded by
British subjects.
Ok, now that we all know what
I have been looking for, a few
weeks ago I was kindly
granted permission to go on
the property where Canewood
should have been. Ironically,
we picked the highest day of
the year to go. Unfortunately,
no one we contacted that had
access to the property could
pinpoint, from my friend’s
death bed description, where
exactly on the 4,000 plus
acres, fit what he said. So, we
all knew from the start that this
was going to be a hit and
miss mission.
My five companions, Carl
Berthelot, our host and leader
brought his friend Larry
Brumfield, another Indiana
Jones fan who had a lot more
information than me on
Canewood and the “Treasure”
that had never been found.
Both had heard tales all of their
lives which verified all of what
has been said. I brought my
son Murphy “Skip” Jr and two
Indiana Jones want to be’s,
Ronnie Braud and
Terry Matherne.
We wandered for hours in the
heat looking for any signs
to match my friend
descriptions to no avail.
Larry Brumfield, related an
earlier excursion, where
once he thought he was
close to where the vault
should have been when
the weather made a 180
turn out of nowhere and
chased him out of the
woods never to find the
place again.
After 4 hours of wandering
like Moses in the desert,
we felt we may be close to
something when one of
our side by side 4 wheel-
ers got stuck and during the
winching out we burnt up the
clutch. When I got back on my
4-wheeler, I realized that I had
lost my camera, which I know I
had before arriving there. Next
thing you know the weather
turned around and we all
looked at each other and said
“I think this is a wrap”.
Circumstantial you say? Well
maybe just a little. When you
add my dead friend finding it
and then returning later and
not being able to retrace his
steps along with all the other
stories maybe there are some
“who do’s” in those woods
protecting that brick vault and
the lost treasure. I had seen
something like that on one of
the Indiana Jones movies, so it
could be true. (LOL)
We have been stymied to
return do to hunting season.
Using some better judgement
we decided we didn’t want to
be roaming around on a
hunting lease scratching
around with 50 or so anxious,
nervous hunters with enough
firepower to re-fight the War of
1812. However, I have made a
promise, when allowed access
again, to continue to look for
the “Atlantis” of Livingston
Parish, Canewood. I am sure I
will have plenty of help if we
can just live long enough to get
back there this summer.
Happy Trails.
It’s Easy to Advertise in Ascension Magazine.
A whole lot easier than catching 30 bass
Call
Mike Strong
225.622.1324
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20
YOUR ESTATE MATTERS
By Linda Melancon
Divorce and the
Special Needs
Child
Depending on which statistics
you believe, between 40 and 50
percent of American marriages will
end in divorce. While there is no
such thing as a "typical" divorce, a
divorcing couple that has a child
with special needs faces an even
more complicated series of
decisions and choices than most.
Family law attorneys, while often
well trained in the complicated and
emotionally charged world of di-
vorce settlement, may not have all
of the answers for the divorcing
parents of a child with special
needs. In these cases, it is important
to meet with an attorney who has a
background in special needs plan-
ning to discuss the best options.
One important consideration is the
impact child support payments will
have on a child's eligibility for
Supplemental Security
Income (SSI).
Divorce attorneys typically focus
on obtaining the largest possible
child support award from an absent
parent, since this is typically in the
child's best interest. However, if a
child receives SSI, child support
payments count as unearned
income and reduce a child's SSI
benefit on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
If the SSI award is reduced to zero,
a child will lose SSI as well as the
important Medicaid benefits that
come with it. There is an important
caveat to this rule, however: Until a
child with special needs becomes an
adult, one-third of a child support
payment from an absent parent is
disregarded for purposes of SSI. (A
special needs child is considered an
adult either when he turns 18 or up
to when he turns 22 if he is still in
school and not considered a head of
household. However, should the
parent move in with the child, this
one-third reduction disappears.)
What does all of this mean for a
parent of a child with special needs?
In short, you may need your family
law attorney to work with an estate
planning attorney who regularly
works with special needs families to
ensure your child is able to receive
child support and still maintain his
or her SSI and Medicaid.
One option to achieve this result
is the creation of a first party special
needs trust to hold the child
support payments. Such a trust is
designed to supplement, not take
the place of, government benefits.
If you establish a special needs
trust, funds in that trust cannot be
paid directly to a special needs
child, but must be paid to third
parties for goods and services for
that person’s benefit. The funds
can be used for a wide variety of
things, for instance, out of pocket
medical and dental expenses,
education, rent or utility payments,
specialized equipment, vacations,
and entertainment.
In planning with a special needs
trust, you can also leave more of
your assets to a special needs child
with more need than others who
may inherit from you. If no
planning is in place, those who
inherit from you will likely share
assets equally, and the special needs
person may be left with insufficient
assets for their care. You should
also consider options like life
insurance to provide additional
resources for the special needs
child, naming the trust as
beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
Finally, when the parents of a
special needs child divorce, they
should update the beneficiary
designations on all of their
retirement plans, annuities, and life
insurance policies. This is an often
overlooked item that can wreak
havoc if the special needs child
receives this money outside of a
special needs trust.
As you can see, when planning for
divorce with a special needs child in
mind is no small task. Ensuring that
your child is provided for, but not
disqualified from any benefits can
be a tricky line to walk. Obtaining
help from a qualified estate or
special needs planning attorney can
make the process less stressful
knowing that they understand how
to preserve the most for your child
and can craft a plan for whatever
other situations a divorce might
bring forward.
The information provided is not intended to
be legal advice and does not constitute an
attorney/client relationship. You should consult
with an attorney for individual advice regarding
your own situation.
Ms. Melancon is an attorney with Legacy Estate &
Elder Law of Louisiana, LLC, with offices in
Baton Rouge, LA and Prairieville, LA. The
primary focus of her practice is estate planning,
probate, special needs planning and elder law. For
more information or to attend an upcoming
estate planning seminar, call her office at
(225) 744-0027
21
 Sheriff Bobby
Webre Awards
Sharon Morris,
Honorary Sheriff
for the Month
of March
Sharon Morris is a graduate
of White Castle High School.
She has over 25 years of
experience in customer
relations and community event
planning through the banking

Photo : Sheriff Bobby Webre
and Sharon Morris.
industry. Five years ago,
Sharon followed her passion
and left the banking industry to
serve as the marketing director
of the Arc of East Ascension.
Prior to her hire, she served as
an outstanding board member
for the Arc of East Ascension,
serving in several leadership
capacities.
Morris continuously recruits
volunteers and community
organizations to provide a
positive impact for individuals
living with disabilities in
Ascension Parish.
She is a 2017 graduate of
the Ascension Chamber of
Commerce Leadership
Ascension and is a member
of the Gonzales Rotary Club.
“Sharon is a compassionate
person and has a caring nature
for individuals with disabilities,”
said Sheriff Webre. “She
continues to find ways to make
individuals with disabilities a
part of the Ascension Parish
community day in and day out
and I am proud to recognize
her for her efforts.”
Photo L-R: Lt. Col. Mike Toney,
Col. Paul Robert, Sheriff Bobby
Webre, Sharon Morris, Executive
Director of the Arc, Dr. Liz Fussell,
Lt. Col. Cody Melancon,
Lt. Col. Paul Hall, and
Lt. Col. Donald Capello.

APSO Captain Rosevelt Hampton
Graduates FBI National Academy
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s
Office Captain Rosevelt
Hampton recently graduated
from the 275th National FBI
Academy Program at
Quantico, Virginia which
included members of law
enforcement agencies from
23
47 states, including the District
of Columbia, 26 international
countries, five military
organizations, and five federal
civilian organizations.
Internationally known for its
academic excellence, the
National Academy Program
offers ten weeks of advanced
communication, leadership,
and fitness training for
selected officers having proven
records as professionals within
their agencies. On average,
these officers have 21 years
of law enforcement experience
and usually return to their
agencies to serve in
executive-level positions.
FBI Director Christopher Asher
Wray was the principal
speaker at the ceremony.
Training for the program is
provided by the FBI Academy
instructional staff, Special
Agents, and other staff
members holding advance
degrees, many of whom are
recognized internationally in
their fields of expertise.
Since 1972, National Academy
students have been able to
earn undergraduate and
graduate credits from the
University of Virginia due to the
accreditation by the university
of the many courses offered.
The graduating officers were
represented by the class
spokesperson, Mohomad
Feroze Khan, Chesire
Constabulary, Winsford,
United Kingdom. A total of
51,770 graduates now
represent the alumni of the
FBI National Academy
since it began in 1935.
Captain Hampton has been
employed by the Ascension
Parish Sheriff’s Office since
November 1996. He was
promoted to the rank of
Sergeant in the patrol unit in
January 2004, and then
promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant in December 2011.
In March of 2019, Hampton
was promoted to the rank of
Captain and will oversee
Patrol District 2.
 6th Annual South Louisiana Crawfish
Boiling Contest, Crafts & Car Show
Come and Enjoy a Great Event for
an even Greater Cause.
Funds raised helps Dream Kids get their
Biggest Wish during their recovery time.

We Couldn’t
Thank You to Our
put the event
Major Sponsor
on without you!
 2019 MGA Chicago
Points Results
Team Champions
Trevor Adams and Jason Adams
Individual Champion – Jason Adams
48 Players braved some pretty fierce winds as
we played The 2019 MGA Chicago Points Golf
Tournament. This is a fun format and can really
reward a player for making birdies. The team of
Jason Adams and Trevor Adams won the team
competition with a score of +12. Jason Adams
won the Individual Event with a winning score of
+10. I’d say it was a good day for The Adam’s!

26
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28

The Digital Age:
Everything Changed
by Orhan Mc Millan
dezinsINTERACTIVE
We are a nation driven by
technology, and digital marketing
has a massive impact on people’s
purchases and life habits.
Companies today need a solid
grasp on how to utilize the digital
universe to maximize their brand
awareness and impact. We're
going to look at some of the
most significant ways that digital
marketing has evolved and keeps
evolving the way businesses
and brands operate.
Marketing has been around for
as long as humans have had
something to sell. Until recently,
marketing has changed very little
over the ages. For the majority of
human history, marketing
was the simple act of persuasion.
Now, all of that is changing as we
evolve into the digital age.
The earliest sign of the shift
happened back when billboard,
television, and radio marketing
erupted onto the scene. This new
technology made it possible to
reach far more people. The
goal was no longer to persuade a
well-known, small audience; with
the help of traditional
advertising, marketers could
suddenly reach thousands.
Then, the internet happened.
The internet marks the most
significant change in marketing the
world has ever seen. We now
have immediate access to more
people than ever before.
Numbers have increased as reach
29
has been simplified - thousands
transformed into millions,
and the potential for finding
buyers has grown exponentially.
Along with the growth in
marketing, the amount of
competition has drastically
increased. In this digital age, old
marketing tactics are no longer as
effective, and companies must be
more resourceful and innovative
than everbefore to stay ahead of
the competition.
WiFi and smartphones have
revolutionized how individuals
communicate and access
information, so it’s crucial that
marketers make use of these
devices to keep up with the
ever-changing face of audience
interaction. Few people leave
home without their devices, so it
makes sense that companies
utilize these devices in their
marketing strategies.
One of the biggest utilizations of
these new devices is social media.
The use of social media
means that target audiences are
now actively encouraged to
engage with brands and their
marketing activities while doing
something they love - interacting
with their community online.
With millions of people active on
social media, it's a great, easy and
inexpensive platform to
grow your business.
The digital age has brought
significant changes to the way
marketing is approached. In many
ways, this works to your
advantage. There’s more opportu-
nity than ever before. If a brand
wants to be successful now and in
the foreseeable future, they need
to keep up and invest in the
evolving technology and social
platforms available. Brands that
can embrace and adapt to this
transition will rise above their
competitors and stay afloat in the
digital age. If you’d like more
information about digital
marketing, email
info@dezinsinteractive.com .
 One on One-Talking to
Yourself for Fun and Profit
“Be honest with yourself and
lie to everyone else.”
Josh Hartnett
Sometimes when it’s fourth
and 10, and you’re backed
up in the shadow of your
goalposts-or it’s an 0-2 count
against Jacob deGrom and
you’re down a run-or you have
to make a 30-foot downhill
birdie putt to win the club
championship and your hands
are shaking like a long-tail cat
in a rocking chair factory…
Well, it might be time to have a
little chat with yourself-which is
exactly what happened to me
the other day.
Maybe it was a landmark
birthday last month or just
some recent soul-searching
decisions I had to make
recently, but on a rainy
afternoon last week at
Sammy’s Grill in the Prairieville
CBD, I found myself face-to-
face with-well-myself.
When he plopped down on a
stool beside me, I noticed
there was something “strikingly
similar” (a phrase I used to tell
my freshmen classes about the
study guide they had just been
gives as in-“This study guide
looks ‘strikingly similar’ to
tomorrow’s test.”) about his
looks and demeanor.
I started in with my “Wild Bill
from Prairieville” intro but he
was way ahead of me.
-We’ve met before, Wild Bill.
I’m Sweet William.
-What are you drinking,
Buddy? Let me buy you a
beer. Carly, I’ll have a less-
filling Miller Lite and a …
-Tastes great Lite beer from
Miller for me. How’s the golf
Sweet William
game, Wild Bill?
-Are you kidding? The best
two balls I hit all day were
when I stepped on a rake.
How about you?
-About the same. I was only
three over after six. The only
problem was that it was one
over a patio, one over a pool
and one over a house. How’s
the short game?
-My putts hit more lips than
Mick Jagger’s dentist and the
yips have gone to my chips.
Did you stay out of the ponds
and bayous today?
-No such luck. I was in so
30
Wild Bill
much water lately I had to
change the grip on my ball
retriever. You ever think about
taking lessons?
-I did get so desperate once
that I went to a guy whose
ad read, “Draw-Shank
Redemption”. Being a sucker
for a bad pun and a Stephen
King reference, I scheduled an
appointment and met him at
the driving range. He watched
me hit about five balls, told me
he’d seen better swings on the
playground and refunded
my money.
-Yeah, I tried one too. He
by Bill Delaune
advised me to take up bowling-
the bar’s closer and you don’t
lose as many balls.
-Hey-speaking of balls-my
golfing buddy T.D. gave me a
present the other day I’d be
glad to share with you.
-The story or the gift.
-You don’t get one without
the other. Anyway, Tommy
goes to a funeral for and old
cousin in Memphis and the
son-a career Nike rep-gives
him some balls in an unmarked
sleeve. Seems that when
Tiger Woods announced he
was leaving Nike to go to
Bridgestone, the Memphis
guys stockpiled some of his
trademarked balls for posterity.
Nike cousin gives Tommy a
few of those memorable
sleeves and he generously
gave one to me.
-Wow! What are you going to
do with them? Put them in the
case with your 2009 Saints’
Super Bowl football?
-That’s what I thought. But
Memphis suggested we play
golf with them and lose them in
a lake or-no pun intended-the
woods. Apparently there was
no love lost toward Tiger when
he dropped them. But now
that he’s Masters champ again
I may reconsider. I give you
one if you want it.
-I appreciate that. But mine
might not make the first hole at
Pelican with the lake to the left
if my Aflac Duck hook is in full
swing. At least we can still
read about golf. Did you see
where the great golf writer Dan
Jenkins died? The announcers
said on CBS that he covered
68 Masters.
-One of the best that ever
lived. His account of the final
round of the 1960 U.S. Open
when Arnold Palmer came
from seven shots back to beat
Ben Hogan is a journalistic
masterpiece
-Agreed. A true classic about
the historic crossroads of an
aging Hogan, the new king
Arnie and an overweight
amateur named Jack Nicklaus.
-The last quote from the
normally stoic Hogan after he
hit in the water on the last two
holes to pass the golfing crown
to Palmer was memorable in it-
self. A Texan like Jenkins,
Hogan never said a whole lot
but he summed up the
tournament perfectly in just
a few words…
“I guess they’ll say I lost it.
Well, one more foot and that
wedge on 17 would have been
perfect. But I’ll tell you some-
thing. I played 36 holes with a
fat kid today who should have
won this Open by 10 shots.”
-That was probably the last
time Jack Nicklaus was called
“a fat kid” as he went on to
lose a ton of weight and win a
ton of golf tournaments
including a record 18 Majors.
He even reeled in the years to
win a Masters at the age of 46.
On cue, the sound system at
Sammy’s broke into a Steely
Dan classic “Reeling in the
Years”.
-Listen to that guitar, Sweet
William. I missed nearly an
entire semester at USL in the
mid-60’s trying to learn the
lead part in that song.
-I hear you, Wild Bill. I did
the same thing at LSU trying to
figure out Glen Campbell’s
“Gentle on my Mind” before I
realized John Hartford had
written it for banjo chords. Do
you still write songs anymore?
-No-the last thing I wrote was
“At Least, Dammit I Tried”
about the three frustrating
hobbies that we seem to have
in common-golf, guitars and
gambling. But I just play that
one for close friends and
family. You have any
gambling songs?
-If I did, they would all be the
blues. My latest disaster was
a longshot ticket on Auburn to
win the Final 4 I bought at a
sportsbook in Mississippi
(Are you listening, Louisiana
Legislature?) and tore it up
when the refs robbed them
against Virginia.
-You should have given it to
me and we could have
combined it with my worthless
Saints’ Super Bowl ticket and
sold them at a blind officials’
benefit. Any luck at
the Masters?
-No-I had Adam Scott at 40-1
and he suddenly developed my
putting stroke during the last
round. I should have known
better than to bet anything on
April 14-the worst luck day of
the year. I mean-what good
can come of a date when
Lincoln got shot, the Titanic
sank and Apollo 13 astronauts
reported, “Houston, we have a
problem.” But like Uncle Harry
used to say, “There are 10
more races tomorrow.”
-Which brings us to our
annual spring dilemma-who do
you like in the Derby?
-I’m going with a speed
horse Maximum Security
although speed doesn’t usually
win the mile-and-a-quarter
Kentucky Derby. But I’ll try the
contrarian theory on this one.
Besides, in a 20-horse race, if
he’s out in front he can’t
get in trouble.
-I’m sticking with New
Orleans-based War of Will
even though he got stopped
cold in the Louisiana Derby. If
your pick and the rest of the
speed horses back up, he’ll be
there to pick up the pieces.
That and he shares a name
with my grandson Will who’s
had a great spring on the
Dutchtown freshman baseball
team.
-Hey, Wild Bill, we have not
have been very lucky with our
G-rated hobbies-golf, guitars
and gambling, but you just
reminded me of another “G”
where we’re very lucky-grand-
children. What do you say we
head out to the ballpark and
watch our grandsons play
some ball?
-Sweet William, I think
you’ve just picked a sure
winner for us there.

World Champion Jambalaya Cook

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31
 logging road and I felt that I was still strutting his stuff. It
could maybe work him but was 6:10, six hours after my first
there was no way to get aggres- sighting of the group, when he
sive with him with all these eyes broke strut for the first time. He
in front of me. At about six o’- then began to walk a straight
clock the flock began to move line to my decoy that had been
away from the little corner that in his full view for six hours. He
they had spent the evening at was definitely going to round
and in single file walked back on her up to join the gang. At the
the same trail they had walked moment that I clicked my safety
in on with the strutter at the off, I asked this question out
rear. It had been a long six loud to him and myself. Why
hours and just as I began to did you do that? By being a
relax for a moment, they reap- male myself, deep down inside I
peared. For whatever reason, knew the answer...
they had now decided to walk
the woodline directly in front of Till Next Time,
Why Did You Do That? me for their exit. I had already Don’t Get Greedy
ting determined that if this did hap- James “Goosie” Guice
I typically try to make one a shot. pen, the distance would still be
turkey hunt scout trip before Around four o’clock another too far to chance a shot at such
the season opener each year. I turkey started gobbling. It did a beautiful creature. So here
naturally go to several places not affect the flock that was in they came one, two, three, four,
that I’ve found turkeys and have front of me at all. The gobbling five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,
had success in the past, along bird was walking down an old eleven and number twelve who
with maybe a new spot or two.
As I stood in one particular spot
that I’ve hunted for probably
thirty years or so, I began to
reminisce about some of my ex-
periences at that location. One
event that happened to me at
that spot took place about four
or five years ago.
I had missed opening weekend
that year because of issues at
work. My plan to take a day or
two off after working the week-
end was approved by my boss so
daylight Monday morning
found me walking down the old
logging road to my destination.
It was unseasonably cold for
that time of year with tempera-
tures that morning that had
frozen the ground. Action was
slow and I had managed to get
through the cold part of the
morning until the temperature
had began to get more comfort-
able.
It was 12:10 when I spotted my
first turkey. It was a hen fol-
lowed by ten more ladies and a
beautiful strutting male round-
ing up the rear of the line of
fowl. The group headed for the
corner of the clearing about
sixty yards from where I sat mo-
tionless and uncomfortable. I
had placed a hen decoy that was
in plain view of the entire gang,
but they never paid any atten-
tion to it. The old gobbler re-
mained in full strut during this
entire scenario. Every time one
of the eleven girls would try to
walk away he would herd her
back into the group. During
this span of hours I had to con-
tinue to tell myself not to take a
chance at shooting him at too
far of a distance, even if it meant
letting them leave without get-
32
 with Kellie
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33
 That’s real nice Bully,
Thoughts from Bully but I thought you wanted to
go fishn’ not kiss’n.

Catch
of the
Day!!
Catch of the day is a phrase
describing many things. It can
be a baseball catch in a game
that saved a homerun or a Hail
Mary in a football game. It can
be on a menu as a special
for lunch.
The first catch I want to
chat bout came from the
Spanishtown Parade. Typically
these catches involve standing
on a parade route and hope you
are lucky enough to catch a
bead or a stuffed animal. The
catch I got this year is the bass
connected to beads with a pink
flamingo in it’s mouth in the
photo below. What’s special
about this catch is on our float
we had a crew member have her
first parade ride. She had this
bass bead around her neck. I
laughed all day long as parade
revelers begged and pleaded for
the bass bead necklace. They
offered money, burgers, beers,
jello shots and I think I heard
take my first born.
When the parade was over I
asked how was the ride. It was
awesome, she replied, but this
fish has been stuck on my neck
for the entire ride and bugging
the crap out of me. I helped her
get it un-stuck. It turns out she
would have given it to a reveler
if she could have gotten it off
her neck. She really wanted one
of those hamburgers. She took
it off and gave it to me. She
said, Take this aggrevating piece
of junk! I don’t want it anymore
and she gave it to me. Now
thats a Catch of the Day.
I didn’t ask for something
I wanted and it just fell in
my lap!
Come Home
to Papa!
Many years ago this print of
some art I did the day John
Lennon was murdered has been
hanging in Park Place. I wanted
it back for years because I didn’t
even have one these prints
myself. Now it has found it’s
way home.
One night I was sitting by a
drunk guy and he said to me.
“Look, that art doesn’t even
look like Jim Morrison! ?????

Looks like John to me.

34
 Bonus Thought’s from Bully from a long time ago.
so slow. It would be June before them around and it looked like
she made the first nibble that a brown hotdog.
scarred the chocolate on the Anyway, back to the photo.
front of the Bunny. Don’t even Mom had the day going great
think about touching those and she took this photo. Look
yellow candy eyes.. Once she’d at my happy little face.
start eating the front, she’d start A real cutie.
at the bottom and work her way Well I climbed in the backseat
up so eventually she’d just be of the car and crawled up in the
holding the head in her hand. back window to look out as we
The ears were last. She’d carry drove to church. This behavior
could have a parent
Becaus e incarsirated today. I
I’m Your, then took off that
hat. She said, “Put
Mo m! it on.” I said, “No”.
She said, “You
I was rummaging through better or else. I
some papers the other day and threw the hat out
came across this classic of the window of
family photo. the moving car.
It was Easter Morning 1958. The next part is
My sister Janet and I were a little cloudy. I
dressed to the ‘T’. remember the
It was a perfect Sunday squealling of tires.
morning. The Bunny had The slamming of a
shown up with the baskets and car door. The
they were filled with colored opening of the door
eggs, candy, hog head cheese next to where I was
and that hollow Chocolate sitting. Then like a
Bunny in a box. ride at the State
I swear my sister Donna could Fair, I was jerked
eat the back out of her Bunny
35
out of that car and was soon on
my way to pick up and put on
that hat.
At first I pitched a fit.
Flopping and whalering in
the ditch.
I said a few more No’s.
It then came time for that
‘or else’, part she mentioned
before.
I then proceeded to get my
butt whipped on Easter
morning and I had to wear
that stupid hat anyway.
Easter is upon us again and I
hope all of you remember your
families on this day and
celebrate the greatness of life.
On that Easter Sunday in
1958 I received the greatest
love of all. Discipline!
Parents have hard decisions to
make constantly but not on this
day. Her reaction to my spoiled
attitude was automatic
and absolute.
She said, “You are wearing
that HAT....... You Got That!”
“Why???”, I screamed.
“Because I am your, MOM!”
Benefiting St. Jude & Dreams Come True of Louisiana Foundations
RESULTS FROM THE CATFISH RODEO
Biggest Catfish Winner
Chris Carol & Todd Stuart
With a catfish weighing 31.7 lbs

1st place
David Fugler & Todd Loup
with total weight of 86.2 lbs

2nd place
Mike Savoy & Rodney Dupuy Jr.
With a total weight of 61.8 lbs

3rd place
Chris Carol & Todd Stuart
With a total weight of 58.2 lbs

36
The 2nd Annual Catfish Rodeo was held
a week ago and it was a great event for
a great cause.
This event was a fundraiser for
Dreams Come True and St. Jude.
Fred’s on the river wants to thank
everyone who helped this event get
rolling this year and we are looking for
bigger and better things next year.
We couldn’t do it without the help of the

Thank You Sponsors

community and our sponsors.

Bo’s Prop Shop

Layne’s Jewelry, Inc.
Mert Smiley
Joe Courtney
Sunco
Modern Gaming
Big John’s Landing
Diez Tire & Automotive
 Join Us for the Kick-Off Party April 27th
Trent Bourgeois 2-6 • Flashback Chameleons 9-1

Senior Citizen Day ... May 9th

BAND SCHEDULES FOR THE WEEKENDS
April
April 20th T-Boy 9-1
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April 27th Trent bourgeois 2-6
Flashback Chameleons 9-1
(Summer kickoff party)
April 28th Loruge 5-9
May
May 4th Trent Bourgeois 9-1
May 5th Rougan 5-9
May 9th Senior Citizen Day
May 11th Matt Kayday 9-1
May 12th T-Boy 5-9
May 18th Delta Bad Hand 9-1
May 19th MoJoes 5-9
May 27th Xpress Band 5-9
Congratulations to
Chris Crow our
2019 Spring HDCP
Champion.
Chris Crow won the
Championship with a
total of 136.

Jennifer H. took 1st Place

in the First Flight
with a 137.

Jana O. took 1st Place

in the Second Flight
with a 146.

40
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41
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

42
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

43
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
 Ingredients:
Cooking Gourmet at Home 1 Head Romaine Lettuce
with SNO’S SEAFOOD & STEAKS 6 Grape Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
Bleu Cheese Crumbles
½ cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup Sugar
1 tsp Corn Starch
Salt & Pepper
Favorite Salad Dressing
6 Strips of Bacon (cooked crispy)

Method:
First let’s get the Romaine lettuce washed up really nice. Run the
whole head of lettuce under cold water, allowing the water to get
in-between the leaves, then cut the Romaine in half length ways,
and trim any brown discoloration off of the bottom core. Next, let it
soak in an ice water bath to get nice and crisp. While the Romaine is
crisping, prep the rest of your ingredients. Thinly slice or shave the
red onion, cut the grape tomatoes in half, and chop up the crispy
Heart of Romaine bacon. In a small sauce pan, bring the balsamic vinegar and sugar
to a simmer. In a small cup or bowl, dissolve the corn starch in
2 tsp cold water then add to the vinegar. Stir the vinegar mixture
“Wedge” salad until it returns to a simmer then remove from the heat and
allow time to cool.

Put it all together!! Remove your Romaine from the ice bath and
Yield: 2 drain off any excess water. Place the Romaine in the center of a
large plate and creatively place the remaining ingredients around or
on top of the lettuce. Finally, drizzle with your sweet balsamic syrup
Prep: 20 minutes and serve with bleu cheese dressing, or any one of your favorite
dressings.

Cook: 15 minutes Top with grilled shrimp or chicken for a meal or serve as an
Executive Chef hgaccompaniment with a hearty meal.

ENJOY!!!!!!
Sam Penton
Serving: 2

45
46
The Artistry of Dr. Z
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Thursday, May 9th 4:00 To 7:00 PM
Baton Rouge Location: 5305 Flanders Drive
Join us for our annual open house!
Enjoy Wine, Hors D'oeuvres and Live Demonstrations.
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