J u n i o r A c h i e v e m e n tandandand

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Vol 34May 2013May 2013May 2013May 2013May 2013

Vol 34Vol 34

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Watch Out World! The Class of 2013 is Coming!!THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SLIDELL

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Editor’sLetterBy Kendra Maness

Each year, Slidell Magazine enjoys the privilege of creating the annual Membership Directory and Buyer’s Guide of the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. The directory highlights all of the Chamber member businesses (called “Investors”, because investing in your Chamber is truly investing in your community). In this directory, we list all of the benefi ts of Chamber membership and, WOW - the list is long! What isn’t listed, and is hard to convey in words, is the intrinsic value of being plugged-in and connected to an organization whose primary purpose is to make your business and your community better.

One of the many benefi ts of membership is the opportunity to participate in the Chamber Expo. On April 25, the Chamber held its annual Business and Community Showcase in the Harbor Center. This convention of Chamber members is the biggest event of the year for the businesses of Slidell. It’s free and open to the public, and with over 3000 people in attendance, the atmosphere is electric. There’s always tons of food, drinks, give-aways, raffl es, and a who’s-who of Slidell business professionals and leaders.

Slidell Magazine had a fun booth this year: we had a HUGE magazine cover made so that people could stand in front and get their picture taken “on the cover” of Slidell Mag. We had little blurbs that they could choose from saying, “Business of the Year” or “Slidell’s Most Spectacular Citizen”. People just loved it and we had a blast taking pictures of everyone!

Our booth was next to Ponies and Parties, friends of ours, and by far the coolest booth in the Harbor Center. There, amidst the cups, koozies, brochures and promotional items of the neighboring booths, was Nemo – a tiny, itsy-bitsy, miniature pony. Seriously…how cool is that? People were almost RUNNING to come see him. Every Mom and Dad in the place had cameras in hand, ready to capture the moment their child fi rst saw Nemo.

I remember when I fi rst met Jeannie and Bill, owners of Ponies and Parties. Jeannie had called, interested in advertising. We hit it off from the moment we started talking. As we chatted about different marketing opportunities and how to get recognition for her new business, I asked if she was a Chamber member. She told me that she had been years ago, but became disenchanted when she felt like there was no benefi t from her membership.

I’m a Chamber Ambassador – I bleed Chamber blue. Hearing this just tore me up inside. I asked Jeannie to allow me to introduce her to today’s Chamber. Maybe I could help her see the endless opportunities that the Chamber now offers to help her business succeed?

We met at the beautiful, historic Chamber building one afternoon. For the next hour, we chatted excitedly with the Chamber staff. We talked about ideas for increasing Jeannie’s business, potential clients and referrals, and all the fun stuff that the Chamber members get to do. Jeannie and Bill became Chamber Investors that day.

Three years later, I see the success that Ponies and Parties has enjoyed because of that one call and that one day. You can see it too – Jeannie, Bill and Nemo are now at just about every outdoor event in the city and their barn is fi lled with giggling children in birthday hats almost every weekend.

Previous to their involvement in the Chamber, Jeannie had a constant struggle with the “No Pets Allowed” policies at most events. Her business was an unusual one and breaking into the festival scene is hard when you’re a new kid on the block. So, she called her Chamber. They went to bat for Jeannie - they stuck up for their member, their Investor. Was there a written policy preventing Nemo from bringing joy to hundreds of festival-goers? Or was it that it had never been done before, so it was assumed that it wasn’t allowed? The answer to that question could be seen at over a dozen festivals so far this year, where Nemo has captivated the crowds!

THANK YOU CHAMBER!

It’s cool to be a member of the Chamber.

Jeannie Murphy and her pony, Nemo, join Kendra at a Chamber Business After Hours

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Contributing Writers:

Tom O’ConnorMay 2013

e f oPerson of the Month

Extraordinarily Fascinating“Ordinary”

by Nancy Richardson

With this month’s edition being dedicated to education, Slidell Magazine welcomed the opportunity to tell you about

a local businessman who has been volunteer teaching at Clearwood Jr. High for over 25 years! In the fall semester each year, this fi nancial planner with his own fi rm takes time out from his busy day to teach 8th graders about business and their fi nancial choices. His name is Tom O’Connor - tall, tanned, good looking, introspective, charming, and fascinating. Tom’s generosity and innate need to make a difference in the lives’ of others stretches far beyond his volunteer efforts with the kids in Mrs. Darnell Boudreaux’s class… he’s soon to depart on an odyssey-like adventure, in the spirit of his family heritage and philanthropy, to Central America.

When fi rst approached by Junior Achievement to participate in their Project Business course, Tom’s reaction was “Sure! Let’s give it a shot!” Tom remembers, “When I fi rst started and was following the course agenda exactly, I felt like I was just going along without any passion. The constant concern was how to keep the kids interested and involved. Gradually, the classroom teacher and I began modifying the course to suit our talents, adding more and more of our own ideas on how to involve the kids,” says Tom.

“Mrs. Boudreaux and I work really well together,” exclaims a beaming Tom. “We help kids become more acquainted with the role that business plays in our lives. We show them the circle of fi nances which helps them to understand the crucial formula involving hiring employees, those employees paying

taxes, which are then used to provide national, state, and local services to their community. For instance, the desks they are sitting in were paid for because someone started a business. This gives kids the big picture.” Tom’s face lights up when he adds, “Today’s kids are very competitive. We divide the class into teams and they compete throughout the semester for points leading up to the grand fi nale and auction. All this helps them with math and cognitive skills. They learn how business works. You can just see the light bulbs going off.”

In the course’s fi rst class, Tom starts by teaching the kids a hand shake. It helps to bring out the shy kids, which Tom himself claims to once have been. He helps the kids to see why the ritual of shaking hands is so important. After all, the main lesson throughout the whole program is one of giving and getting respect. The

Tom leads the bidding on auction day!

7

handshake is just a start. The kids learn to allow each other to become part of a discussion by listening to each other. “As we go along, I pick up clues as to the individual needs of the kids and try to bring out the shy ones and the ones who seem to lack the necessary social skills,” elaborates Tom. Although the program lasts only one semester a year, Tom says proudly, “Mrs. Boudreaux thinks the kids actually do better on their achievement tests after this program.”

While the fi rst class is about the hand shake, the next class is all about business…cards, that is! Tom gives the kids one of his business cards and asks them to evaluate it. Then, each student makes up his or her own business card and tells why they chose what they did. “I feel that after the handshake, the business card tells a lot about the person and the business,” continues Tom. Students get to defend their choices with their classmates critiquing.

Each lesson brings a new challenge and a new perspective. “We do current events, and made-up events, to get them to think globally, environmentally, morally,” Tom says. Indirectly, they get into budgeting and spending habits and talk about concepts that the average 8th grade student isn’t familiar with; like how a home becomes upside-down in value. Tom plants seeds of good fi nancial planning throughout these classes.

Grouping the kids into teams, which they will be a part of throughout the semester, the kids can always score points (for things like a correct answer and initiative) and lose points (for things like talking when others have the fl oor). They convert their points into “funny money”, which they can use at the end-of-the-semester auction of silly stuff, junk food, and other assorted goodies which Tom purchases. The auction is the grand fi nale of the semester and the bidding is exciting and intense! It is an accumulation of what the kids have learned: earning and saving their “money” throughout the semester allows them to splurge on the fun stuff in the end!

Maybe it’s because Tom has no children of his own that he enjoys working with the kids, or maybe it’s because he claims to have struggled in school back in California when he was a kid. Whatever the motivation is, Tom says his greatest satisfaction comes in seeing these young ones grow and “get it”.

Tom with students of Project Business as pictured in a 1998 newspaper story

8

Over a period of at least 25 years, with about 30 kids in each class, Tom O’Connor has impacted the lives of almost 800 kids. He feels that they pay more attention to what he says because he isn’t their parent or their teacher. “They know that I’m running a business myself and that I’m not being paid to do this, which gives me more credibility with them. I think that tells the kids that this is important and they seem to be very grateful.” With the help of Mrs. Boudreaux, the classes have made huge thank you cards for Tom to show their appreciation. Mrs. Boudreaux relates, “Tom reaches students that are usually quiet and don’t participate and brings them out of their shells. He has even taught me things about economics that I didn’t know!” This clearly tickles a humble Tom O’Connor. It’s defi nitely a win-win situation—for the kids, for their teacher, and for Tom.

In addition to the love for his students, he also has a passion for travel, visiting his mother’s country of Nicaragua whenever he can. Though born in Ohio, Tom’s mother brought him to Nicaragua when he was just two years old. He lived there with her and his brother until he was fi ve. With fair hair and crystal blue eyes, Tom often gets second glances when visiting his family in Central America, but he is always welcomed and made to feel at home with the gracious and warm people of the country. “The people there are just so nice, so genuine,” Tom says. His Nicaraguan family has seen many diffi cult times, with the political and military upheavals and several natural disasters affecting their homes and their lives. Family members have been imprisoned and have lost properties due to being confi scated by the government. “It really makes you appreciate America and your freedom that much more,” he says.

Tom has taken many trips to Nicaragua but an upcoming trip holds special excitement for him. “I’m going there to give away a lot of money!” he laughs. With the recent passing of his aunt, Tom will be visiting with the many charities and organizations named as benefactors in her will. “It’s going to be a wonderful experience,” Tom says. “I could just send the money over, but I want to go there and see the charities and talk with the people who are part of them. I want to

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Students of Clearwood Jr. High present Tom with a HUGE Thank You on his fi nal teaching day

of the semester

Tom, with his uncle and cousin in Nicaragua

9

get to know them, and to see the good things they are doing. It would make the donations that much more special because I’ll be able to see how this money is really making a difference in other people’s lives.”

Tom will journal his trip to Nicaragua, as he often does. “It really gives me a chance to relive the moments,” he says. One has to wonder how much of his trip will get worked into next fall’s class with the kids at Clearwood Jr. High? Maybe what Tom fi nds in Nicaragua will help him to become an even better role model for them. It most certainly will provide much fodder for his business ethics discussions!

Tom O’Connor has volunteered more than a quarter century of his time for the benefi t of Slidell’s youth. His mission and passion is to help educate and empower the next generation of business professionals. Now that’s what we call dedication… and extraordinary!

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TThe trunk sat on my Aunt Nell’s back porch for years. It really was not a porch as you and I know one, but it had once been a porch. In the old days, homes had back porches. This was a cool respite in the summertime for relaxation and for sitting chores, such as shelling butter beans and shucking corn.

W h e n t h e t o i l e t f a c i l i t i e s m o v e d indoors, these areas were enclosed to accommodate them. Being on the outer edge of the building, it made the bathroom easy to plumb and it was also the place where washing machines were kep t when they we re acqu i red . So , i n t h i s enclosure known as the back porch, the old trunk went unnoticed for years.

My aunt’s husband passed away and after a number of years, it was deemed best that she not live alone any longer. She was moved to an assisted living center. Of all the furniture from her home that she could have taken with her, one of the few pieces she took was the old trunk.

In her little institutional apartment, it served as a coffee table, a depository for her financial data, family photos and other items that were sentimental to her. It was not a beautiful piece and was never an expensive trunk, but it was not a bottom of the line one either.

Being the self appointed family historian, I suspected that my aging aunt’s days were numbered, so I made what I assumed could be my last visit to see her. I wanted to be told whatever family tidbits she may still recall.

She opened the trunk and pulled out an old photograph. The photo was of her grandmother, who passed away in 1900, and her eight sisters. The photo was dated

1895. My aunt pointed her boney fi nger at each of the ladies in the photo and gave me a brief biography of each. Finally she came to the last one on the right.

“That’s Aunt Emma. This was her trunk,” she said.

“I suppose she left it to you when she died?” I asked.

“That is not exactly the way it happened but she did leave me

everything she had. All she had was this old trunk, her clothes and a ring. I gave the ring to your cousin years ago. I guess I should have thrown away the trunk. After all those years on my back porch it is now the centerpiece of my living room.” She motioned as if the tiny room was some spacious mansion.

“Tell me more about Aunt Emma,” I urged.

Now, you should know that she was not my aunt. Emma was my great aunt. She was never married and drifted around - fi rst living with her sisters, and when they all died out she lived with her nieces and

nephews. She usually did not stay in one place long. She would only stay a few weeks at a time and she traveled with everything she owned in this trunk.

“Well, one day in 1946 Judith Mae called. You remember Judith Mae?”

I nodded that I did when in reality I had never heard of her.

She continued, “Judith Mae was her niece; now remember I am Emma’s great niece. Your uncle and I lived here in town, in the

house that I sold just before I moved in here. Judith Mae lived

about ten miles out in the country. That was a long way in those days.”

She rambled about o the r t h i ngs fo r a minute or two and then I steered her back to the Aunt Emma story.

“Judith Mae called and asked whether your uncle and I would mind meeting the train, as Aunt Emma was coming to

visit. She had been spending some time with a nephew in New

Orleans and would be arriving on the City of New Orleans that afternoon.

Now that “City” was some fi ne train.

“Judith Mae said that she was having car trouble and would not be able to get into town in time. She assured me that she would be in to pick up her Aunt Emma the f i rs t th ing in the morning. I knew better. Judith Mae had lied to me before but there was really nothing I could do, so we met the train and took Aunt Emma and the trunk to our house.

12

THE TRUNKTHE TRUNK

“I never saw or heard from Judith Mae as long as she was on the top side of the earth. I didn’t go to her funeral either when she died. Not because she tricked me, but because of the way she did her Aunt Emma. Remember she was her aunt, not mine, and she had more responsibility toward her.”

I was curious, “How long did she stay?”

“She stayed with us the rest of her life. After a couple of months she got sick. I took her to the doctor and when he examined her, he called me into his offi ce.

“Nell, you don’t need the responsibility of that woman. She has cancer in her female organs and she is going to die. She is going to die, but it won’t be real soon. You are going to have your hands full taking care of her.

“I told him that she had no place to go and I could not turn her out on the street. I would never have done that to a stray dog. He handed me a bottle of pills.

“Leaving the offi ce he turned and said, ‘When the pain gets bad, give her one of these. You may need one for yourself too. I don’t envy what you have to go through.’

“She lived almost a year and we took good care of her. She died on Easter Sunday in 1947. I remember your mother going to the funeral. I remember it, because she was real pregnant with you.

“The last days of poor Aunt Emma’s life she really suffered. She talked out of her head and made no sense with what she said. Some of it we never fi gured out. One thing she kept repeating was, ‘Lord I forgive Pres. Lord don’t let me die without you knowing I forgive Pres.’ She said that over and over.

“The only thing she owned was this trunk and a ring. I’ve already told you that, but it did not keep those nieces and nephews from calling, writing and coming to see us. They wanted to know if she left the money to them. She had no money. I paid for her funeral, and I didn’t give her a pauper’s funeral either. I made the funeral home use the new hearse. That cost fi ve dollars more.

“I fi nally told those relatives that I was glad they called. I did not have any money for them, but I had some medical bills and funeral expenses for them to pay. I never heard from them again.”

That was the last visit I had with my Aunt Nell. She gave me the photo and in a few weeks she passed away.

I helped clean out her belongings and the few things she had were labeled as to whom they were to be given. My name was not on anything, but I mentioned that I wanted the trunk. No one else wanted it, so I took it home.

We cleaned it a little, stored a few items inside that we seldom used, and made a table out of it in our den. The trunk grew on us. Both my wife and I liked it, and after the movie Titanic, it seemed there was a revival in the interest of old steamer trunks.

13

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14

Years passed and in August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck our community. Our house fl ooded. The house only had about a foot of water, but that was just enough to ruin some furniture and make a big mess. As we attempted to save furniture, we put some of it in the sun to dry. We questioned the wisdom of trying to salvage Aunt Emma’s trunk.

I decided to put it in the trash pile to be picked up by the FEMA cleanup crew. When it was pitched on the pile it landed on its side and the top fl ew open. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. There was a false bottom in the trunk that had been jarred loose and something was underneath it.

My imagination ran wild. Was it the money the relatives had sought? It did not take long to see that there was no money, but carefully wrapped in wax paper were newspaper clippings, one dried fl ower, and letters. All the letters turned out to be from Preston Bankston except two.

May 10, 1898

Dear Em,

Let me start by telling you that I love you. I did not leave to be gone forever, just had this Cuban Fever. You see every grandpa I have had has fought in some war. One in the Great Revolution, one with Jackson down in New Orleans, one in the war against them Yankees, and now this is my time. I will be back and we will try to buy that piece of land near your family. I told you when I was twelve years old, you would be my wife and I mean it. I hope you like the ring I gave you. I hope it makes you remember me.…………………………………………….

Love You,Pres

The date and the phrase “Cuban Fever” indicates he was referring to the Spanish-American War. It only lasted for four months as is alluded to in the next letter.

September 12, 1898

Dear Em,

No, I am not coming home right now. I really wanted to fi ght down there, but the war ended before I could get there. The President said that it was a dandy little war, but not for me. We are just sitting around. Some men are requesting to be discharged and many are very sick. I want to see if I can get sent to the Philippine Islands. I hear you can really do some war if you get attached to Major John Pershing’s outfi t. They call him Black Jack. No, you should never doubt I love you and I will be home, but I have to at least be in one war. ………….

Love,Pres

September 21, 1903

Em,

I enjoyed the time I was home with you and I already miss you but I need to do something and make some money before we get married. The canal, that is a project. They call it the Panama Canal project. No one has been able to do it yet but I think us Americans can get it dug. It pays good money. Two years there and we will have what we need. Just be sure I love you and plan on our wedding in two years……………

Love you,Pres

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August 18, 1905

Dear Ms. Emma,

Preston asked me to write this letter to you for him if need be. He said you were the only one that needed to be notifi ed. You see Preston got the fever. I don’t know which one. We have several kinds of fever down here. We all thought he was going to pull through, but he died in his sleep two nights ago. He did not suffer. He was buried yesterday and the ladies from the village made sure there were plenty of fl owers. I am enclosing one for you as a keepsake. He told me to tell you he loved you. I was his friend and I am from Oklahoma.

With Sympathy,Benjamin Sullivan

There were many other letters that I did not quote from Preston. The only other two letters were the death letter from Benjamin Sullivan and the following one. It was from Emma and it was never mailed. The envelope was addressed to:

Preston Bankston%General DeliveryAda, Oklahoma

I unsealed the envelope and read the following:

December 12, 1920

Preston,

How much it hurt me when I ran into your cousin yesterday in Baton Rouge. I had not seen her since 1900. I did not even know she moved to Baton Rouge. She told me that you were, of all things, alive and well in Oklahoma. She told me that you married the sister of a friend of yours that you met in Panama. Could that friend be Benjamin Sullivan, the one who sent me the letter of your death? I understand you have three sons. I am happy for you. Happy for you, but I will never forgive you for this. Fifteen years I have given to your memory. Fifteen years, the best of my life. I swore when I got the letter of your death that I would never love again. After knowing you are alive, I will never trust to love in the future.

Much happiness to you but no forgiveness from me ever.

Emma

Storyteller’s Note:

I did some research and found a B.A. Bankston on the newly released 1940 census. He was born in Mississippi, mother and father born in Louisiana. That fi ts who he was. If he is the one, he became a very wealthy oil man in Oklahoma. I cannot be certain if he married Benjamin Sullivan’s sister but her maiden name did start with an “S”. If he is the correct Bankston, he died two days after Emma in 1947.

15

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My Friend,FRANK DAVIS

by Kendra Maness

Pretty much everybody in Southeast Louisiana knows Frank Davis. For the past 30 years, Frank has been WWL-

TV’s Louisiana lifestyle correspondent, specializing in fi shing, cooking and local color. He’s been a part of our family – we’ve cooked with him, fi shed with him, and joined him on countless adventures in Louisiana geography and culture. With Frank, we’ve shared more than 2,000 recipes in his morning cooking shows, taken more than 1,500 fi shing trips in his “Fishin’ Game” reports, and learned about our culture, creativity and quirkiness in over 3,000 “Naturally N’Awlins” segments.

I call Frank Davis my “Sunday morning boyfriend”. For the past year, the Sunday morning phone calls to the home of my friends, Frank and Mary Clare Davis, have been the highlight of my week. Mary Clare picks up the phone with her friendly New Orleans/country accent and we visit for a time before she puts the phone on speaker so Frank can join in the conversation. For an hour or more, the three of us tell stories, talk about my life, their life, and their grandkids. Frank shares his recipes and cooking advice with me and we chat about the next installment of his monthly article, Frankly Slidell. With a lifetime of publishing and media experience, Frank easily serves as a mentor for me and Slidell Magazine. We laugh a whole lot and enjoy the friendship that began when I fi rst met the Davis family in February 2012.

This particular Sunday morning in mid-January, I missed Mary Clare’s phone call. The message on my voice mail was short

and haunting. Mary Clare’s voice was trembling slightly as she spoke, “Kendra, we’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Something’s wrong – Frank is sick.”

Frank’s fi rst year after leaving WWL was an active one. Retiring on December 31, 2011, Frank spent much of 2012 preparing for what he hoped would be a long and active retirement. (Mary Clare had previously retired from the St. Tammany Parish School system.) Plans had long been in the works for Frank and Mary Clare to move to The Woodlands, TX - a beautiful, green suburb outside of Houston – to be closer to their only child, Amanda, who lives there with her husband Joe and their four children.

Putting their house up for sale and making the move from Slidell was diffi cult for the Davis’. Mary Clare says, “It was a big decision to leave Slidell. We’ve been there for so long, it was our home. We loved the people, our neighbors and friends, everybody I worked with at the school, everybody Frank worked with at the station. We just loved living there – we had the house of our dreams after losing everything in Katrina. We miss it. But, it ended up being a blessing to be in Texas because of what’s happened.”

What’s happened to Frank Davis is a rare, debilitating, and life-altering disease called Chronic infl ammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP.

CIDP is an acquired immune infl ammatory disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It’s an extraordinarily rare disease, affecting

about 1 in every 4 million people. CIDP is caused when a person’s immune system, which is normally supposed to fi ght off bacteria and viruses, starts to attack their own body. In CIDP, the immune system starts to attack the insulation around the nerves, which is called myelin (hence the name “demyelinating”). The myelin sheath is a soft, white, fatty material. It protects the nerve endings. It also acts as a conductor, allowing the nerves to send messages from the brain quickly around the body. As the myelin sheath is destroyed, damage is done to the nerves. This damage prevents messages from being sent quickly, if at all.

The nerve damage causes numbing, tingling, pain, progressive muscle weakness, loss of refl exes, and fatigue. In the most extreme cases, it can lead to near-total paralysis from complete loss of muscle strength and control. Unfortunately, Frank Davis is one of these cases.

Because of the extreme rarity of the disease, patients are often misdiagnosed and untreated, causing the disorder to continue on its slow path of debilitation. If caught early enough, patients have stopped the progression of the disease and even recovered to live a near-normal life.

The symptoms were so subtle and gradual, Frank laughed it off to getting older. “It probably started back as far as 3 or 4 years ago. It was little bitty things, almost unnoticeable,” Frank says. “I began to suspect something was going on but I certainly didn’t think it was CIDP. For example, I was always very profi cient at tying fi shing lures on – for tuna all the way

16

Frank, before his retirement, on the set of his morning cooking show at WWL -TV

down to speckled trout. Before my retirement from Channel 4, I was having a hard time tying the lures on, I’d have to use my teeth to help me. I thought - maybe I’m just getting old. Well, as we all know now, it wasn’t anything about my age, it was the beginning of the muscular breakdown that accompanies this disease.” He adds, “It doesn’t come on at one time. This whole damn disease sneaks up on you.”

Those of us who watched Frank’s shows on Channel 4 had no idea – he was still the fun-loving, talkative, active and affable character that he had always been. Off camera, though, things were different. Mary Clare says, “He had no strength in his legs like he used to. The captains would have to help him into the boat each week.”

This past Christmas, a family trip to Disney World seemed to be a turning point for the Davis’. “Disney was such a big deal – I’m fi nally retired, fi nally in Texas with the grandkids, the whole family was going. We almost canceled the trip because I was having some diffi culty walking, my balance was off. I thought I was having vertigo. Or an ear infection. We solved the walking problem by getting scooters for us.”

Returning from the trip, the weakness worsened. Days after their return, Frank went to the emergency room and after much testing and thwarted hypotheses, began his journey through life with CIDP.

“It seems like by the time I was diagnosed with the actual disease, things progressed pretty fast,” Frank says. “After I started my fi rst treatment, I went outside with my dog and a little walking cane – that lasted for 3 days. Then I used a walking stick for about 3 more days. The next week, I was on a walker, then a bigger walker because I had no strength in my hands. Within the month, I was in a wheelchair.”

17

18

Treatments for Frank are following the standards set for CIDP patients. But with so little knowledge about the disease because of its rarity, doctors and the Davis family are trying anything and everything. “The treatments are stopping the progression. Now we need to reverse it,” says Frank.

Treatments include IVIG therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin – taking blood, compounding it and putting it back in), plasmapheresis (plasma exchange), steroids, and chemotherapy. All of these treatments attempt to kill or modify the cells that are in the immune system that are at war with Frank’s nervous system.

Frank’s ongoing treatment has included all of these. He jokes, “I had so many mega doses of steroids, I could’ve run in the Kentucky Derby and won the damn thing!”

“I’m doing chemo and the plasmapheresis now. The doctors say that it will take a while to kick in, then we may see improvement. We’re hopeful,” Frank says. “They’ve exhausted every other possibility that modern medicine could try and those didn’t work on me, so we stepped it up and got even more aggressive. We’re trying to kill the bad cells and start all over again with new cells. But really, it’s kind of a crapshoot.”

Limitations are a new experience for Frank. “It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I can’t do things anymore. That’s a hard word for me to work with – ‘can’t’. I have never, ever worked with the word can’t. I always thought I could do anything. Now, I have to work with that word,” Frank says.

“I can’t walk or sit up on my own. I can lift my left arm over my head but there’s no strength in it. I’ll look at my right arm and tell it to move but it just says, ‘No way, man, ain’t happening!’” Frank laughs, “I do what I call the ‘Doritos test’ with myself. I concentrate real hard and pick up a Doritos chip. By the time I get it to my mouth, I’ve got no Dorito. Ain’t that a bitch?”

Frank assures us all, “There’s nothing wrong with my heart or my diaphragm. I have no problem in holding my head up and, thank God, there’s nothing wrong with me mentally.”

Mary Clare chimes in jokingly, “He’s not any crazier than he’s always been!”

Maintaining his famous good spirits and humor has been a challenge for Frank – but that’s a fight he refuses to give up! “At first, I was angry…for about 5 minutes. When the doctor said that if we would’ve caught this earlier, I’d still be walking, I thought –

damn…and then I just accepted it for what it was and said ok, where do we go from here?”

“I make every effort in the world to keep my spirits up – my friends and all the boat captains will call me and say – ‘Come on Frank, hang in there babe – you’ll be fine!’ and it cheers me up. I have roller coaster days. One day I want to fight til the end; other days, I just want to say, to hell with this, I’ve had enough.”

“It’s all the tiny small stuff that you can’t do that gets you down. The things that bother me the most: I can’t use my computer, I can’t type. That’s always the way that I could just escape into my thoughts. Remember, long before I was on TV and radio, I was a writer – that’s who I really am. I have to use a voice recording device now to do all of my writing,” Frank says.

“I can’t use my phone, because I can’t hold it. Mary Clare handles all of the calls. So I can’t stay in touch with people like I used to. Like I said…ain’t that a bitch?” He laughs. “That’s really what we should call this story!”

“I miss the things that most people do every day that we just don’t even give a second thought to,” Frank says. “I miss cooking and chopping the vegetables and walking up the street. I miss stirring the pots. I’ve asked Mary Clare so many times – ‘honey, just roll me into the kitchen in my wheelchair and let me just stir a pot, I think I can do that.’ Well, I try and I can’t do it. You start out positive and then you get down.”

Frank, back in 2004, catching redfish at the trestles on Lake Pontchartrain

19

Mary Clare is proud of the way Frank is handling the whole situation. “He’s got a great outlook on this. He gets the doctors and the nurses laughing all the time.”

Most of Frank’s fans are unaware of Frank’s condition and he’s taking this opportunity to reach out to them. “It hasn’t been a secret. We just didn’t know what was going to happen from day to day so we were hoping that I could write a story and say… ‘whew, guess what happened to me a few months back…’ after I had recovered. I’ve always been honest with my audience. Most of the people from New Orleans and southeast Louisiana have watched me and contacted me over the past 30 years – they’re like my family now. I love to hear from people, to talk to people. I’ve got friends calling me, just to tell me a joke.”

Most of the updates on Frank’s condition can be found on his and Mary Clare’s facebook pages. “We try to let everybody know what’s happening and avoid the ‘poor me’ thing,” Frank says. “I tell Mary Clare to keep it positive. So, the last thing I want to do is say ‘look at me, poor me.’ That’s not my personality. As far as people knowing what I have - I think it’s a good thing to let people know because maybe it will bring some awareness to this. Then the next person may be able to get help for this a lot earlier.”

Mary Clare and Frank Davis celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in March. Their relationship with each other has never been stronger. Along with their daughter, son-in-law, and 4 grandchildren, the Davis’ are taking things one day at a time… and counting each one as a blessing.

If you would like to send your thoughts and prayers to Frank and the Davis family, please visit the Slidell Magazine facebook page,www.facebook.com/slidellmag where we will be sharing our well wishes with Frank.

Mary Clare & Frank on their family vacation to Disney Worldin December 2012

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Our workshop this month will focus on identify theft. It’s a good way to learn something new about this spreading epidemic and how to protect yourself, your family, and maybe even your money. Please join us at our Olde Towne offi ce on Tuesday, May 21, at 6:00 p.m. Call us at 985-605-5066 for reservations.

Speaking about learning something new, I was walking back from the post offi ce the other day, and, as I neared city hall, I saw

a young mother with her daughter starting to cross the street toward the municipal auditorium. The little girl was dressed in a cute yellow sundress and mom was holding her hand. As they got ready to cross the street, I heard mom say, “Remember, look both ways to make sure no cars are coming.” Her daughter dutifully looked one way, but not the other, and started to walk. But mom pulled her back and said, “You didn’t look both ways. You have to look both ways to make sure it’s safe.” With a trusting look to

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her mom, the little girl obeyed, looked both ways, and got her mom’s approval. I watched them as they safely crossed the street. I don’t know where they were headed, but I hope it was to get a sno-ball or an ice cream cone because that little girl deserved a treat. She learned her lesson well (and was cute as a bug, to boot).

As I continued back to my offi ce, I thought about what I had just witnessed. A young mom, teaching her daughter one of the many things she will need to know as she begins to navigate the world on her own. Watching the care her mom took to teach the “look-both-ways-before-crossing-the-street” lesson, I knew that the little girl in the pretty yellow sundress was in good hands.

As a parent myself, I’ve enjoyed my share of teachable moments with my three kids, and we’ve had many lessons on how to manage personal fi nances. They certainly didn’t hang on my every word (I remember a lot of yawns and rolling of the eyes), but they’re pretty responsible with their money today. It tells me that some of my teaching stuck. Here’s what I shared with them:

1.) Live within your means. A lot of Americans consider it practically a birthright to spend themselves into oblivion and, if you watch TV for about 15 seconds, it’s easy to see why. The great American marketing machine is hard at work 24-7, and its relentless badgering to buy everything in sight – and supersize it for good measure – is hard to tune out. To borrow a current observation: a lot of people buy things they don’t need, with money they don’t have, to impress people who don’t matter. The predictable result is fi nancial disaster. Don’t give in to it. We have a simple budgeting tool here that can help. Call us, and we’ll share it with you.

2.) Start a long term investment plan. I stressed to my kids that an emergency fund comes fi rst, but once it’s up to a few thousand bucks, it’s time to kick off a long term savings plan for all kinds

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of things: buying a house, sending your kids to college, a nice vacation every now and then, and, for the time way in the future when they might not want to work anymore (or can’t), a retirement fund. Slow and steady generally wins this particular race, and, the earlier you start, the better. Here’s an impressive fact: if you invest just $50 a week every week for 40 years and earn an average of 8% on your money, you’ll end up with more than $760,000.1 Even 40 years from now, that’s decent money. However, ANY amount going into your investment account is better than nothing. Let us help you get started.

3.) Purchase life insurance while you are young. Young often means healthy, and if you are young and healthy, it generally means that cheap term life insurance is there almost for the taking. We can’t think of ANY young person – or old person, for that matter – who does not need enough life insurance to cover his or her Human Life Value. If you don’t know what Human Life Value is, meet with us here at Pontchartrain Investment Management and we’ll not only help you fi gure it out, we’ll tell you why it’s so important for your and your family's fi nancial security.

4.) Don’t try this at home (or alone). One of the life lessons my dad taught me is that you can’t know everything and that it makes sense to hire an expert. The single best decision I ever made about my own money was deciding to work with a fi nancial advisor early in my career. Our core belief is that ANYONE who is committed to it can achieve fi nancial peace of mind. Do you want that? Meet with one of us.

5.) Share your wealth with others. Andy, Steve, and I are Rotarians, and our motto is “Service Above Self.” We’re expected to serve others with our time, talents, and fi nancial gifts. We’ve found that the more we share our personal resources with others, the more we receive. We also meet a lot of nice people along the way. Try it. The rate of return on your investment will be immeasurable.

You don’t have to be a child psychologist to know that the lessons parents teach their kids are likely to shape their behavior for life. Just like that mom I saw teaching her little daughter how to cross the street safely, lessons about money are just as important. It’s not guaranteed, but our guess here is that kids who learn about money and how it works in the world will be a lot more likely to achieve fi nancial security than those who don’t get those lessons early on. Come to think of it, a lot of adults could probably use a refresher course, too. It’s never too late, so call us and come in for a complimentary fi nancial evaluation.

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If one young life is saved, it’s all worthwhile” has been the motto of Slidell/Pearl River Project Graduation for the past 20 years. Since 1993, the Slidell/Pearl

River Project Graduation Board and parent volunteers have worked together to throw unforgettable - and safe - graduation parties for all fi ve area high schools - Northshore, Pearl River, Pope John Paul, Salmen and Slidell.

Begun in Maine in the early 1980’s, the fi rst Project Graduation was born from love, concern and unspeakable tragedy when 19 high school graduates died in alcohol-related accidents over a two year period. Realizing this situation could happen in any hometown, the Project Graduation concept grew and was adopted nationwide by many schools and experienced enormous success. In 1992, Mandeville High was the fi rst

school to start Project Graduation in Louisiana, with Slidell/Pearl River Project Graduation following the next year.

Project Graduation is a safe, alcohol, tobacco and drug free party for area high school seniors following their respective graduation ceremonies. It’s an all-night party with TONS of activities that allows our area’s newest graduating classes to

ProjectraduationGG

by Cindy Boudreau

Slidell/Pearl River

“

PROJECT GRADUATION:Slidell High School

29

have a blast and stay safe while doing it. Doors open at 11pm with the lock-in taking place until 5am. The parties offer the graduates of each school the chance to spend one last night together, as a class, before they head off to pursue their dreams. Even better - since the inception of Project Graduation in this area, not one young life has been lost to a drinking and driving related accident on Graduation night! YAY!

The City of Slidell has been a huge supporter of Project Graduation, providing a facility free of charge to the organization each year. This year, for East St. Tammany, all fi ve parties will be held at Fritchie Park Gym. In years’ past, they were held at the Slidell Auditorium and John Slidell Park Gym.

From the moment students arrive, it’s nonstop action! Students sign in, which registers them for an opportunity to win a Laptop and printer package and even a $500 cash prize. They then “go shopping” for a graduation gift. They turn over their belongings and join the party where they play games, dance, eat, earn “play money” to take chances on other prizes ranging from gas cards, bicycles, dorm refrigerators, TV/DVD combos and much more. They can enjoy playing on the infl atables and this year, they’ll be saving the fun moments with their own photo booth. The music is pumping and keeps the kids moving - they can sing karaoke with the help of a local DJ and enjoy ZUMBA dancing/exercising at 1:30am. There’s never a dull moment and the kids have a blast playing blackjack, having tricycle races, and entering the money machine that blows “play cash” into their faces. It’s high energy

Tickets: Adult $20 • Student $15

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Sat May 11 th 8pm

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Sat May 18 th 8pm

Sun May 19 th 2pm

Fri May 24 th 8pm

Sat May 25 th 8pm

Sun May 26 th 2pm

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30

decorations, check-in process, games and security. Then on their respective schools’ graduation night, the “Party Chairs” as they are known, run their own party for their seniors. Each year, Project Graduation will host close to 800 students throughout the fi ve parties.

Slidell/Pearl River Project Graduation is truly a community project. First, 100% of the funds are received from cash and in-kind donations from the community, with an annual budget of $60,000. (Fundraising chair, Paul Amison, has done an outstanding job raising money this year!) Secondly, a large percentage of the money raised is spent right back into our local economy. Mostly, the parties are not possible without the countless number of local volunteers needed to run each of the fi ve events. While the committee works year round to plan them, each school needs approximately 75 people to assist with their own party. It’s a project of love FOR the children of our community, FROM the people of our community.

all night long! By 5am, they are exhausted and have had an incredible (and safe) night that they will never forget.

The fi ve area high schools (Northshore, Slidell, Salmen, Pearl River and PJP) compete throughout the year on the athletic fi eld and in the classroom to set standards of excellence at their respective schools. East St. Tammany is very unique because, through Project Graduation, all fi ve schools come together and work in unity to sponsor the parties, with each school having representation on the board. Each school has a specifi c area of concentration - from fundraising, food donations, entertainment,

PROJECT GRADUATION: Pearl River High School PROJECT GRADUATION: Pope John Paul High School

Donations may be mailed to:Slidell/Pearl River Project Graduation

P.O. Box 1696Slidell, LA 70459-1696

facebook.com/SlidellPearlRiverProjectGraduation

2013 Project Graduation Director:

or via e-mail at slidellprprojgrad@yahoo.com985-640-3985Cindy Boudreau

31

For the class of 2013, the theme is “Laissez les bons temps rouler” and the cost to attend for area graduating seniors is only $30, which includes a t-shirt, graduation gift, all the fun they can stand, food, soft drinks, ice cream and more. In addition, they will receive a DVD of their party mailed directly to them during the summer.

Project Graduation’s goal is not only to give our teenagers an opportunity to enjoy the end of their high school year with their friends, but to keep them alive and safe for us, their families, to enjoy in the years to come.

PROJECT GRADUATION: Northshore High School PROJECT GRADUATION: Salmen High School

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Fresh Local Inspired

August 1916300 agricultural and business leaders meet in Springfi eld, Mass to work on

advancement for boys and girls.The Boys’ and Girls’ Bureau is formed

1919Despite World War I, the Boys’ and Girls’

Bureau, headed by Theodore N. Vail, president of AT&T, moves ahead

February 27, 1920The committee changes its name to the

Junior Achievement Bureau

The Beginnings

October 1920 Horace A. Moses, president of the Strathmore Paper Company, becomes chairman. He will

serve in this capacity for 27 years1928

A study shows that 8-12 year old students are too young for the Achievement Program, and recommends a broader appeal for ages 16-21

1938Interest in JA is increasing, as inquiries from

areas outside the Northeast begin.

1920’s & 1930’s

In the 40’s, JA creates new events that include: ● National Association of Junior Achievement Companies (NAJAC), a conference for students in the JA Companies● Future Unlimited Banquets, sponsored by businesses to

recognize the outstanding leadership of JA Companies● Company Trade Fairs that display and sell company products

1941The US plunges into WWII. Many JA companies

are involved in the war effort1949

JA grows to include 27 cities in 18 states.The JA Company Program reaches

12,409 students

1940’s

12th Annual National Junior Achievers Conference, Miami UniversityAugust 22-26, 1955

“Empower and Inspire with Knowledge”

Going through the notes I had prepared, I was looking forward to my meeting with the Education Program Manager with Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, Inc. I was interested in learning more about Junior Achievement and its involvement with the Northshore and the City of Slidell. I had no idea that one hour later, I would be asking Valerie Hulse how I could become a volunteer. At a point well into our conversation. Valerie confessed, “I love JA and have a huge passion for what I do.” She didn’t need to tell me. It was evident from the very beginning of sitting down and talking…

Junior Achievement (JA) was founded in Springfi eld, Massachusetts in 1919 as a national organization. Today, JA is the largest partnership linking the private sector with education. Its Core Purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to successfully participate in the economy through workforce development, entrepreneurship, and fi nancial literacy. Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans (JAGNO) was incorporated in February of 1955. Later that fall, the fi rst local students enrolled in the JA Student Company Program where they met at the various offi ces of the

local supporting companies. Since that fi rst class of students, JAGNO now reaches over 24,000 students in 12 Parishes in Southeast Louisiana in the 2011-12 school year.

JA provides many programs for students both in-school and after-school. There are two site-based programs used to connect directly with the students. Both programs offer a hands-on, realistic simulation that can open the young minds of our students and let them know their potential while preparing them for life. JA Biz Town

is for Elementary school students and helps them understand the link between what they learn in school and how it applies in the real world. Valerie lets me know, “Every lesson has a hands-on activity. This makes it easier for the younger kids to understand the roles they will play in the local economy.” For older students, JA Financial Park allows them to act as adults for a day and challenges them to make personal fi nancial decisions in a real-life simulated environment. These middle school students are given a

by Lee Kreil

22

Enrollment grows fi ve-fold and JA reaches

66,245 students in more than 3,000 JA companies

in 139 cities in most of the 50 states

Nat’l Assoc. of JA Companies (NAJAC)

competitions are held for outstanding achiever in

sales, production, management, accounting,

and public speaker

1955JA opens in fi rst two non-US locations:

Windsor, Ontario and Vancouver,

British Columbia

1950’s

“The Fly-In” - David T. Keams, president& CEO of Xerox Corp. meets

NAJAC Conference attendees

role which includes their job, how much money they’ll make, if they are married or single, and have kids or not. They then learn how to budget their money to cover all the expenses of life. These and the other programs offered up through 12th grade helps prepare students to be work ready. Students who participate in JA programs have a better understanding of the business landscape and economics.

I barely had time to fi nish asking the simple question of Who benefi ts? before her face lit up. “Our students.” answers Valerie without hesitation. “They are the main

23

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The Nat’l Assoc of JA Companies (NAJAC) links Achievers with top business leaders and educators for discussion groups and

workshops. Reader’s Digest publisher DeWitt Wallace forms a Speakers Corps

to groom Achieversfor public speaking.

1960’s

1970Dick Maxwell, former president of the BetterBusiness Bureau takes over leadership of JA

1971Project Business, a program of economics and business education, supplements 8th and 9th grade social studies classes one day a week,

for one semester. For the fi rst time,corporate volunteers bring business

realities into the classroom

1970’s

Mid-70’s

Business Basics is designed to

bring basic business

knowledge to students in the

fi fth and sixth grades.

1970’s

Vice-President Nelson A. Rockefeller speaking at the 1st National Business Hall of Fame.

“By introducing young Americans to the private enterprise system, Junior

Achievement is helping to keep alive the spark of individualism that made possible this

country’s rise to greatness.”

Project Business class inAtlanta, GA visits a muffler factory

purpose and focus of JA. The students represent our future.” I couldn’t help but notice a pattern emerging. No matter the question, Valerie’s response always turned the focus to the students. Even when asked what her biggest challenge she faces is, the main emphasis of her reply is how it affects the students and why it is so important that we never lose sight of that fact. Valerie went on to explain, “The biggest challenge that we face is getting volunteers. Recruiting volunteers takes up valuable time and energy that could be better directed educating the schools and businesses about how JA benefi ts and prepares students to be better citizens. Our students ARE the future. They are the future workforce

classes versus taking the place of classes, thus helping students see the connection with education. Over 90% of teachers and volunteers that work with JA’s programs in the classrooms say their students have a better perspective of how the real world works. In addition, 75% also point out these programs lead to students realizing the importance of staying in school. JA boosts the local economy by helping to build a more competitive workforce and by helping to create an entrepreneurial mindset in its students. Alumni of JA programs go on at double the rate of the general population to owning their own businesses. They have a higher fi nancial literacy rate and understanding of the importance of money and management. A vast majority of Alumni also report they have a better understanding of skills

of the companies we try to partner with as well as the future entrepreneurs and contributors to our local economy that help sustains the school system and the quality of life of our area.” Valerie continued to explain the importance of having the schools and business community on board…

JA programs inspire students to succeed. JA bridges the gap between what students learn in school and how it applies in the real world. The programs supplement important to success. Problem

solving, decision making, critical thinking, and communication skills are learned through JA programs and go on to make the businesses alumni work for better. As Valerie sums it up, “Successful alumni give back to their schools be it through their time or fi nancially at a much higher rate than any other (contributors) to a school. Local businesses can have a hand in creating a better future workforce pool to draw from. They can increase the odds of their own future success and sustainability by participating and contributing to the JA programs.”

Volunteers are the key. Building a volunteer base through relationships with schools and businesses is her main objective.

24

1981 JA pilots Applied Economics (AE),

a high school level, full semester, economics curriculum. Junior Achievement is now the largest supplier of economics education to public and parochial schools in the country

1988After taking the organization 47 years

to reach 1 million students cumulatively,JA reaches 1 million students

during a single school year

1980’s

March 16, 198941st US President George Bush speaks at

the JA National BusinessHall of Fame Ceremonies

1989After requests from other nations,JA Inc. creates an international

department.

1980’s

December 7, 1991Launch of JA in the Soviet Union only days

before the fall of the USSR

1992The elementary school programs are launched,

leading to rapid expansion during the 90’s

1995James B. Hayes, former publisher

of FORTUNE Magazinebecomes JA’s CEO

1990’sGov. Ronald Reagan

with Buffalo, NY Achievers

With schools (Valerie reminded me several times too, “This includes all school…public and private alike. There is a need for JA in both.”) and businesses seeing the importance of participating and donating, it still requires volunteers to make it all happen. Through donations and fundraisers, classroom kits costing around $100 are donated free by JA to the participating schools. These kits benefi t classes of 30-34 kids. But it takes volunteers to complete the cycle. There is only one Valerie Hulse and even though she has the energy of an entire team, she is only one person. JA and our community are lucky to have her. She may be the Education Program Manager for the Northshore, but Valerie is also the ultimate volunteer. From giving all the time needed to achieve her goals to doing whatever it takes to “make it happen,” Valerie does it all. And she does it for the students.

“The focus is on us to give the students of our city every possible advantage we can to prepare them for success. Both individually and as a community,” she stresses. “Our volunteers have so much knowledge and experience to give to our students, we are fortunate for the quality and the leadership of our business community. Through JA and the volunteers we can achieve our goal of empowering and inspiring them (students) with knowledge.” Volunteering truly is the key that unlocks the future potential of our students’ future success.

Just like the students that are the

Northshore. “We chose to work with JA because we believe in the organization’s investment in work readiness, entrepreneurship, and fi nancial literacy skills for our youth. With only one volunteer coordinator for the Northshore, we saw an opportunity to increase the success of an existing and proven curriculum to benefi t the community immediately,” said John Brindell, team leader. The team’s goals are to bring JA programs into six more organizations and develop a large base of volunteers in the area and bring classes to several local schools as well as the Slidell Boys & Girls Club. “It has been great having John and his team involved and working to help raise awareness for the need of volunteers,” Valerie says. “With their help and partnering with Leadership Northshore, our goal of reaching 5,000 students on the Northshore can happen.”

With just a 45 minute commitment for each classroom session, it is easy to become a volunteer. JA

focus of JA, there is another group of “students” who are preparing to emerge in our community. They are the Leadership Northshore team of John Brindell (Eustis Benefi ts),

Pat Brown (National Weather Service), Tal Estis (STARC), Tana Stevenson (Fruits of My Lens Photography), and Shelly Wells (Shelly Wells CPS Firm). As part of their program and challenge of creating a project that makes a lasting difference in the community, this Leadership team chose to work with JA to increase awareness and help expand their footprint on the

25

1996JA now offers a fully-integrated, sequential

K-9th grade curricula

1997Hands-on learning centers, where studentsrun a model city for a day, open their doors.

Exchange City, JA Enterprise Villagefor elementary school students

and JA Finance Park formiddle grade students

1990’s

2000JA Titan, a Web-based interactive business simulation for

high school students, launchesTODAY

- JA’s reaches more than 4 million students in the US- 5.7 million students are served in 122 countries worldwide

- Since 1919, JA has impacted more than 105 million young people- JA has 178,000 classroom volunteers

- JA programs are taught by volunteers in inner cities,suburbs, and rural areas throughout the US

in all 50 states

2000 - Beyond

will train each volunteer and provide all the necessary teaching materials via the “kit.” Not a teacher? Don’t have any teaching experience? Don’t let that stop you! JA will show people interested that they ARE all teachers and that they DO have invaluable life experiences to share. Life and work experiences are priceless teaching tools from which students can learn. JA wants people from all walks of life. Professionals, college students, retired people, and parents all have something to offer. Volunteering with JA to help the students of our area succeed is one way each of us can give back. The benefi ts of volunteering with JA pay off immediately, in the short-term, and over the long-term.

We can all inspire, prepare, and empower. “If we touch one student, empower one class to let them know what they can achieve….” Valerie stops talking and smiles. There is no need for her to fi nish. Junior Achievement has…and they will continue to do so.

Contact Valerie at Valerie@jagno.org or JA of Greater New Orleans at www.jagno.org to see how you can make a difference in a student’s life and the community in which we all live.

26

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S l i - K uAs a writer I just love that this month is also a part of speech. There are two months of the year that can claim this honor. Based solely on usage, I would have to say that this month would get my vote as “Best Verb Month” by far. May is a modal verb (also called a “helping” verb) and can be used to suggest possible activities or happenings in the future. It also can be used to grant permission or allow the subject to perform an action. How positive and optimistic! It’s like the month is leaving itself open for you to decide whether or not it is going to be a good month. You MAY… get that promotion at work OR win the lottery OR treat a Haiku writer to lunch. The possibilities are endless! March, being the other verb month, just sounds harsh or abrupt and way too bossy by comparison.

I like uniqueness; I am drawn to that quality. If it stands out in a crowd, I’m all over it! Robert Frost famously wrote The Road Not Taken and talked about choosing “…the one less traveled by” and how that made all the difference to him. If it were me, forget the road - I’d be hiking through those yellow woods with no thought of a trail. May is uniquely singular. No other month of the calendar year begins or ends on the same day of the week as May does. However, every January of the following year always begins and ends on the same day of the week as did the current year’s May. A one of a kind month to be sure!

I normally include special days as well as other interesting “tid bits” associated with each particular month. May can easily fi ll up this entire page with wonderful and unique observances that include cultural, historical, and local events. But there are two very important days I want to single out. Each of these days’ honorees has had a hand in shaping us both individually and as a country.

Mother’s day is the second Sunday of the month. If you can, use this time to thank mom for all she does and let her know how much she means to you. For some, it can be a time to reach out to a mother and reconnect. For others, it is a time of remembrance. If you are a mother, let me wish you a “Happy Mother’s Day!” As with life, importance and meaning of a day are as different to each of us as we are different from each other. Interestingly, over the course of some women’s lives, this holiday can transform in meaning. First as a daughter of a mother, then becoming a mother, and fi nally with the loss of a mother, the same day may see an entire range of emotions over the course of one’s lifetime.

Memorial Day is another holiday that holds different meaning for each of us. Groups and individuals in Slidell will come together over this day and honor the men and women who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Graves of fallen soldiers will be decorated and services and remembrance ceremonies will be marked by many groups and clubs with ties to the military. I hope that we the people never forget the true meaning of this day. This holiday also is used to unoffi cially mark the start of the summer vacation season and has morphed into a long weekend of family get-togethers, retail sales events, and trips to the lake…all made possible by those that have laid down their lives for us.

OK, I was serious for two entire paragraphs so I feel the need to close on a lighter note. There are two special days this month that SciFi fans can look forward to. The lesser known of these (but only to the general population…Douglas Adams fans will know this) is May 25th or Towel Day as a tribute to the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy novels. The other day is May 4th or Star Wars Day. A day for all Star Wars fans to put on their best Darth Vader costume or Princess Leia outfi t and forget they have real lives and jobs and families (and pride) and pretend they are in a galaxy far, far away. I am a fan…but not a fanatic. “May the 4th be with you!”

Until next time…

Lee Kreil

Sacrifi ces madeThe fallen stand the tallest

May we remember

Lee Kreil

27

It’s never too early

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MMMore than any city I’ve visited, Washington DC is a repository of some of the world’s most profound historic symbols, from its imposing monuments to impressive architecture.

On a recent trip to DC, I often felt as if I’d stumbled into my personal DiVinci Code-esk mystery, minus Tom Hank’s ingratiating narration. Tour guides are well versed on the symbols in each monument or building, so one is never at a loss for the historical minutia surrounding just about everything in Washington.

B u t m a n y s y m b o l s s p a r k e d p e r s o n a l consideration that drew me into each location, each experience, as I savored the city last Easter weekend. And always, there were moments, big and small, that left me with a tangible feeling of discovery.

Those discoveries turned up at unexpected moments and often with jarring juxtaposition of the abstract and the concrete.

My son, Clint, planned to join me in Washington on Good Friday, but I fl ew in on Wednesday to get a couple of days sightseeing in on my own. Clint lives in Boston, so I don’t get to see him often enough. I planned lots of activities to keep me busy until his arrival.

First up was Wednesday night’s performance of “Hello, Dolly” at the Ford Theatre. A Tony award winning musical farce about a matchmaker in turn-of-the-century Yonkers took place only a few feet below the balcony seat where President Lincoln was shot in 1865. It was disconcerting to watch the onstage frivolity a few feet above Lincoln’s fl ag-draped Presidential Box.

That is, until I heard onstage dialogue that rang true:

“Are you sure this is an adventure?” a character named Barnaby asks.“You don’t have to ask, Barnaby. When you’re in one, you’ll know it.”

It was then that I knew I was in for aDC adventure.

A fresh head cold and even colder rainy weather threatened my plans but a climate controlled tour bus promised the “best of DC in a day.” I walked the steps of the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. I heard children counting each step, albeit without the panting breathe that marked my ascent. Lincoln’s words brought tears to my eyes.

GO BEYONDWashington DC

Story & photos by Rose Marie Sand

33

“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfi nished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”

After the monuments, lunch at the Pentagon Mall was listed among the high points of the tour’s printed schedule. Unlike the National Malls’ acres of open-air lawn and the reflecting pool flanked by Smithsonian Museums, the Pentagon Mall actually refers to a shopping center near the Pentagon that’s ringed with chain stores and a food court! Sometimes, a mall is just a mall.

“When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Men invade another country. It’s a whole different way of thinking.” - Elayne Boosler

I was disappointed to eat a tasteless version of “Cajun chicken” from the food court only moments after reading the Gettysburg address, but the somber grace of Arlington Cemetery’s changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was our next stop.

Lively footsteps underlined the quiet witness of immaculately laid marble stones as we walked the path to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Wind whipped my neck scarves during the uphill journey past the Eternal Flame of John Kennedy’s gravesite, and parents admonished the young ones to slow down along the path.

Tomb Sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment’s “Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather, since 1926. The crowd watched in silent anticipation of the hourly change of guards, and my sniffl es and the bracing wind were insignificant in comparison. Inappropriate laughter among the waiting crowed provoked the guard’s sudden stern command:

“It is requested that everyone maintain a level of silence and respect.” I remembered a Latin inscription in the Jean Lafitte Cemetery in St. Bernard, DUM TACENT CLAMANT - “while they are silent, they shout out loud.”

On Good Friday, the weather warmed and the sun was shining. The National Cathedral, near Embassy Row, was the perfect morning destination as I anxiously awaited Clint’s arrival.

The Cathedral’s brochure couldn’t do justice to stained glass windows that captured the sun in brilliant colors, especially one called “Space” honoring man’s walk on the moon, which encapsulated a moon rock. Monitors broadcast the Good Friday service, a modern presence among Gothic architecture. I heard the minister’s words remind us about “what we have done and what we have left undone.”

“Love with your whole heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and your strength.”

I vowed to return to the Cathedral when I had more time to study the stunning mosaics and glass rosettes, but there was one symbol I had to see before I joined Clint back at my hotel - Darth Vader. Numerous grotesques and gargoyles adorn the exterior of the 1907 structure, some of which were commissioned in 1980 from a national competition for children.

Through an entrance near a statue of Lincoln, Darth Vader stands guard at the north entrance to the church. Talk about your contrasting symbols! An avowed Star Wars fan, I remembered Yoda’s profound observation:

Luke: “What’s in there?” Yoda: “Only what you take with you.”

The next few days, Clint and I toured the museums and landmarks together. Highlights of Easter weekend continued the theme of discovery, delight and dichotomy.

On Saturday, we took in as many Smithsonian Museums as we could in the morning, and in the afternoon opted for the International Spy Museum and the Newseum. The sequestration had cancelled the White House tour I’d scheduled, so on Sunday, we walked the perimeter of the President’s home and opted for pedicures at the W Hotel across the street.

In two days, we studied Cold War pop cultural icon James Bond, Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize winning photograph of Marines raising the fl ag at Iwo Jima, the Wright Brother’s Kitty Hawk and the display of unaltered portions of the original Berlin wall.

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34

A headline at the Newseum proclaimed, “Sometimes it just takes a camera, or a word.”

If these symbols truly stand as tangible reminders of larger-than-life events, I can also say that memories of Washington DC also contain a small moment in time unique only to my family.

Clint and I loved the Smithsonian’s Hirshorn Museum. We are artists and art afi cionados, and the works at this museum are astounding. There’s a current display of Barbara Kruger’s bold graphics proclaiming “Believe + Doubt = Sanity” and a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden. As Clint and I left the museum, we strolled among the sculpture garden’s iron masterpieces.

A melodic dirge caused us to pause in a hidden corner. The song’s lyrics were haunting and frankly depressing, although the sound installation among the sculptures was well placed. When we left the area, my son suddenly pulled out his cell phone.

“That song – it reminded me of something I’ve heard before,” he said. In a few seconds, he’d pulled up the song from Flashdance, and indeed the upbeat melody mimicked the dirge.

“What a feeling…bein’s believing. Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life.”

We walked down the National Mall laughing, feeling silly and free and spontaneously singing aloud “What a feeling!”

One of my favorite artists, Mississippi’s Walter Anderson, said that Art is incredible, not for itself, but in changing the artists relation to other things. Somewhere between the art of God and man’s creations – cherry trees and paintings, Martin Luther’s dreams and my son’s laughter, I realized that symbols stir emotions that are as personal as they are universal. My trip to Washington DC had it all, and I treasure the memories.

What a feeling!

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Soundstage Tax credits that benefi t fi lm production have brought a massive infl ux of economic activity to the area. Local businessman Reed Ingram, with the help of Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan, is working to bring “Hollywood South” to the North Shore.

Partnering with the city and the state, the plan is to open the world’s largest soundstage on a 160 acre area at Camp Villere north of I-12. This type of development has the potential to add thousands of new jobs to the area.

Lifetime Slidell residents, whether they’re 10 years old or 100, will tell you how much the landscape has changed since they were young. Economic development has transformed Slidell from a village of rail laborers (population 364) to Louisiana’s twelveth largest city (population 28,000) behind only New Orleans in the southeast part of the state. Despite this, many might think Slidell is falling behind in today’s competitive economy. Not so! Check out some of the developments that our kids will take for granted 10 years from now...

Veterans Cemetery Also near Camp Villere, ground has already broken for a new Veterans Cemetery. With over 8 million dollars allocated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for construction, the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery could potentially provide for up to 100,000 veterans and their families in southeast Louisiana.

It is anticipated that two new hotels as well as other amenities such as restaurants and retail will be built in the area to accomodate those visiting the cemetery.

Fremeaux Town CenterShoppers rejoice! After years of stagnation due to the recent recession, the large development at the junction of I-10 and Fremeaux has fi nally come alive.

The Fremeaux Town Center (a name change from the previous Fremeaux Summit moniker as the project was taken over by Stirling Properties) is slated to open as early as spring of 2014. The new outdoor mall is 70% leased, with new big box tenants like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kohls and Michael’s entering the Slidell retail market for the fi rst time.

“We believe this site has the characteristics to become a premier retail shopping destination,” says Stirling Properties’ Townsend Underhill. “We are happy to continue our long and successful history of retail development in the City of Slidell.

Olde Towne Renaissance If you’ve visited Olde Towne Slidell recently you may have noticed an increase in activity in the area. While the neighborhood had a scare last year as fl ood waters rose during Issac, there has been a lot of new development. Much of that new energy is courtesy of Andy Prude and Chris Nogues of Pontchartrain Investment Management.

Encouraged by historical tax credits and the fact they simply needed a place to work, they bought and renovated a condemned building with no roof or backwall on Carey Street. After that initial success, they purchased more properties, including the old Feed Store, and are in the process of developing and leasing them.

“We’re looking for tenants with the same type of vision,” says Prude. “Restaurants, cafes, retail - these types of businesses will bring more foot traffi c.”

Prude, a resident of Olde Towne, thinks it can one day have all the same positives as economic destinations like Magazine Street in New Orleans. With the help of a major beautifi cation grant in the works and an eventual connection through Heritage Park to the Tammany Trace,“the quality of life in Olde Towne will improve dramatically.”

Extreme fans are everywhere and this extremism takes many forms. What does it mean to be an extreme fan? What makes up these fans? Is it good or bad? What kind of things do these fans do that make them extreme? How do we become fans? We have all witnessed the “extreme fans” and all the fl avors they come in. There are groups who get their bodies painted with G-O-T-E-A-M, and then as if on purpose, get in the wrong order and spell, “GO TAEM”. There are the Darth Saints and LSU Spider Men. And, fi nally, the fans who have rooms or even houses decked out to look like a museum dedicated to the advocation of their favorite teams, as if fandom was going extinct.

So where does fan extremism come from? It is not a stretch to classify the extreme behavior we see from fans as obsessive, crazed, or even psychotic. The word fan itself is a shortened version of the word fanatic, which is defi ned as being “marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion.” Sound familiar? We have all seen people who are excessively enthusiastic about their sports teams. And have you ever tried to argue with an

avid fan over which sports team is the best? I have seen brick, no, TITANIUM walls that give way quicker.

This fandom can sprout from many different seeds. Pride, though, is usually at the core of a fan. This pride in a team can be connected to pride in community, as we have all experienced through the Saints and their connection to Post-K New Orleans. Our pride for the Saints has echoed our pride for the city. Being a Saints fan is being a New Orleanian, or even a Louisianian. It builds a sense of camaraderie and community. Extreme fans help to accentuate this pride, like an exclamation point. They are the ambassadors to the nation for the fans of a team, because they are much easier to spot in the masses.

As ambassadors, fans have some interesting ways to show their love for the team. As mentioned earlier, fans love to dress up. If you ever get the chance to go to a LSU or Saints football game, or get lucky enough to see these fans on T.V., there are brilliant costumes and creative painting designs that fans come up with to show their pride. One of my favorites in the student section at LSU are the Storm Trooper costumes, all yellow armor with purple accents.

Another way fans love to prove they’re the “best fans” is by creating rooms worthy of their worship to their teams in their homes. Many of us know of people that have “Saints” rooms, “Hornets” rooms, “Bama” rooms. The rooms have everything from brilliantly designed furniture to authentic paraphernalia from players and coaches, past and present. Words don’t do these rooms justice, they are pretty amazing.

Some fans get tattoos to support the team of their choice. Fleur-de-lis and eye-of-the-tiger tattoos are common in Louisiana. The more creative tattoo artists, and the brave fans’ bodies, can depict everything from the Steve Gleason blocked punt to a portrait of Lebron James. Tattoos can be extreme, especially when they are of a player from a team, because nothing is permanent for these franchises. Players and coaches come and go and team logos change.

Finally, there are the fans who resort to websites or violence to vent their frustrations or prove the worthiness of their team. Many create websites like “Fire X”, where X is considered a plague to the team. Then there are email forwards and funny pictures that seem to fi nd their way straight from the internet into my spam folder. These fans are more powerless and harmless than the ones that start throwing punches. Bitter rivalry games can help create tension among opponent fans that result in a trip to the

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emergency room or jail. There should be no place for this in sports entertainment but, sadly, many of us just can’t keep our hands to ourselves.

There are fans that can’t keep from acting inappropriately. They embarrass themselves, the city or university, or even the team itself. The image that immediately comes to mind of these kinds of overzealous fans is one of loud, obnoxious, relentless and boisterous yelling or chanting with a few dashes of inappropriate language and gestures. These people paint a bad picture of their own fanbase and create trouble for the public image of the team. New Orleans has its fair share of extreme fans, for sure. Think of all the Roger Goodell death threats last year over the bounty scandal. Do you remember how many public fi gures, including Sean Payton and Drew Brees, that made sure to tell New Orleans to treat Goodell with hospitality? When something like that needs to be said here, in the south, from people we know and respect, we know that we can be too attached or too extreme.

We get so up in arms over our teams. But where does it all start? Where does our team spirit begin? Well, one way is from family. We have all seen the people who love a team and don’t know why, other than their family loved them, and their grandparents loved them, and their great-grandparents loved them, and their great-great-great-great-great grandparents. In other words, it goes back a while. These fans are fans because their parents ingrained into them the love for the team. It’s almost not genuine. It’s like you have only eaten cake for dessert your whole life. So of course you are going to eat cake. Why would you try anything else? But maybe if you tried pie, you would change your mind. Personally, I am partial to brownies.

Another way of becoming a fan is through being in a community. In the Northshore and most of Louisiana, we are Tiger, Pelicans, and Saints fans. From the biggest parish to the smallest city, that is usually the case in our state. We slap team

bumper stickers on our cars, wear team t-shirts and name our children after the winners of major sporting championships (LOTS of Drews and Paytons in Louisiana after the Saints won the Super Bowl). People who come here can’t help but appreciate our passion for our home teams. It rubs off on them because team spirit is contagious. Before you know it, a born and bred New York fan is rooting for “his” Pelicans against the Knicks.

Some fans have a more personal connection with the team they root for. I think feelings for an organization change after you become part of the organization in some way. For the fans who work for these teams or even have a relative working for the team, success or failure is so much more intense. Even just attending the university of the team you root for creates an amazing attachment. I have never played for LSU, worked for the team, or had any other signifi cant interaction other than spend three years of school there. I FELT when the team won or lost so much more than I do now. I had an attachment to the team because I was part of something deeper than the game on the fi eld. So much so that I actually was a bit of an extreme fan myself.

I didn’t paint my body or create an LSU war room or anything like that. My extremism was purely the attachment I felt to the team. I was a recent football fan when my fandom started and, being at LSU, loved seeing the intense games the Tigers have. I was known for screaming at the quarterbacks and berating the offi cials, as if I was the coach on the fi eld (because they can ACTUALLY hear me if I yell loud enough). Eventually, I realized that my intensity was too much. I scared a few people on more than one occasion and embarrassed myself on others. That was not the man I wanted to be, not the fan I wanted to be.

Corey HogueMay 2013

Jockularity@SlidellMag.com

You can enjoy more of Corey Hogue’s insights on sports by visiting:

www.WhoDatDish.com

I fi nally calmed down and understood what so many seasoned fans have known for years. You always hear there will always be another season but it takes time to truly appreciate those words. I now do, and I know my TV (and friends and family) appreciate the calm, cool, collected fan I am now. It isn’t always easy, like we all know from the Jordan Jefferson era at LSU. But, ultimately, I don’t love the teams I root for less. If anything, I am able to appreciate them more. So, the next time you have the urge to throw something at the TV screen or get loud and angry, think about the reason why you feel so strongly about the team and try to appreciate the intensity - instead of unleashing it.

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AmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaAmericaMyby Kendra Maness

On March 30, 2013, I accompanied my friend, Tim Pillsbury, to the New Orleans Crescent City

Classic. Tim was running in the race for the fi rst time – a personal goal he was determined to accomplish. I wasn’t running that day. (I used to joke that it required far too much coordination to run a 10k…after all, how can I be expected to hold a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other, AND run a race?) My job was to be a spectator, cheerleader, photographer, and moral support for my friend. I stood amongst the huge City Park oaks and thousands of spectators, bathed in the glorious morning sunshine of a beautiful day and thought, This is perfect. Life is perfect.

Just two weeks later, on April 15, the runners and spectators of the Boston Marathon were preparing themselves for their own personal challenges and perfect day. No one ever suspected the bombs. Just like I would never think that my day spent at the Crescent City Classic would be the last day of my life, or the last day I walked with both of my limbs, or the last day I would see my friend Tim. I just don’t think in those terms. Does anyone?

I’m an American. This is MY America. It’s yours too.

As Americans, we were raised to live a fearless and free life, void of the “terror” that accompanies terrorism. Even after 9/11, we still hold steadfast in our belief that as long as we are in America, we are safe. The bombing at the Boston marathon and the melee that ensued afterwards have not diminished that belief in me.

When I fi rst heard the news, I was horrifi ed, angry, saddened…but not scared. I will not be scared in my country. I refuse

to be intimidated or bullied by anyone.I live a free life, abiding by the laws of my constitution and the morals of my God.

This is MY America and that is MY right.

As I watched the constant replay of the explosions on TV, I couldn’t help but think of the horrible, almost unbelievable, ironies that were unfolding before my eyes.

The Boston Marathon is run each year on Patriot’s Day, a holiday in many New England states, including Massachusetts. Patriot’s Day is celebrated on the third Monday in April each year and is symbolic for the emerging independence of our country from the British monarchy. It commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, the fi rst battles of the American Revolutionary War, which were fought near Boston in 1775.

How could someone commit this heinous act of terror on Patriot’s Day? Patriot’s Day symbolizes the genesis of our nation as a free-willed people; a day that we commemorate the beginnings of the foundation of beliefs that would eventually be written into our Constitution.

This Constitution of the United States of America guarantees me the freedom to write this article. It guarantees you the right to read it – or not to, if you choose. The Constitution guarantees me the right to choose which God I believe in and express that belief to whomever I want. I can choose the leaders of my city, my state, my courts and my country.

Why did these brother-wackos feel that they had to kill and maim and terrorize innocent people to prove a point, make a statement, serve their god?

Because they’re not American.

They were not borne of the blood of millions of heroes who fought for the right to freely express their beliefs. As Americans, we are constitutionally MANDATED to allow someone to laugh at the god we believe in and criticize the things we most deeply profess. But what makes us truly unique, and truly American, is our passion and fervor to PRAISE AND DEFEND the right to do those things.

I am reminded of a quote from Michael Douglas in the movie The American President:

“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ‘cause it’s gonna put up a fi ght. It’s gonna say ‘You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can’t just be a fl ag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that fl ag in protest.’ Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the “land of the free”.

This is me exercising my right to free speech - to rant, to rave, lament and proclaim. I have the right to do it because this is America.

This is MY America.

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by Jeff Perret, DVM The BARF movement

Pet owners are naturally concerned about providing the best care for their pets, and no form of care

is more direct and meaningful that what we feed our animal companions. Last month we discussed some current fads in veterinary nutrition, including the growing (and unnecessary) distrust of grains in general and corn in particular. For many pet owners, the desire to gain some control over what goes into the food they give their pets may lead to an interest in various home-made diets. For instance, rare but serious problems with contamination of commercial foods for dogs and cats have stimulated signifi cant anxiety about the safety of these foods and generated increased interest in alternatives. One such alternative is a variety of raw diets, often referred to as BARF (Bones and Raw Food) diets. Even some veterinarians have suggested these diets may be benefi cial to our canine and feline pets. Unfortunately, there are many myths surrounding these diets, and the facts don’t support their use.

Myth 1: Dogs and cats are carnivores and evolved to eat uncooked whole prey.Dogs have been domesticated for tens of thousands of years, and they have been eating human leftovers for the vast majority of that time. There are signifi cant physical and genetic differences between dogs and their closest wild relative, the wolf, and the genetic evidence suggests they diverged into separate species close to 100,000 years ago. The teeth and gastrointestinal tract of dogs has adapted to the human food they have eaten for so long. We have also made many changes in our canine companions through breeding. There is

little resemblance between the average Chihuahua and a wolf, and little logic to the idea that they should have the same diet.

Cats, on the other hand, have remained hunters despite their associations with humans, and their nutritional needs are closer to those of their wild ancestors. Nevertheless, they too have been much changed by human intervention, and there are still significant differences between domestic and wild cats which make a pure prey diet less than ideal.

It is also important to point out that wolves and other wild carnivores generally live longer in captivity when fed cooked commercial diets, and the nutritional advisory group for American zoos recommends these diets over raw, whole prey for captive carnivores. And while cats often do hunt and eat whole prey, they also suffer from infections, parasites, and other illnesses related to eating birds and rodents. Raw whole prey is clearly

not a natural diet for domestic pet dogs. And it is not at all clear that raw prey is the healthiest or optimal food even for cats or other carnivores for which it is a natural diet.

Myth 2: Uncooked food is more nutritious than cooked commercial diets.Proponents of BARF diets sometimes claim that vitamins and other nutrients are destroyed by cooking and so raw diets are more nutritious than cooked ones. While it is true that cooking reduces the amounts of some nutrients, it also makes others more available and easier to absorb. And while cooked commercial diets are designed to have adequate levels of vital nutrients in the final product, most raw and homemade diets, even those made from nutritionally complete recipes by well-meaning, conscientious pet owners, have been found to be nutritionally unbalanced or inadequate. A number of case reports have been published of pets who developed diseases of malnutrition when fed BARF or other homemade, raw diets.

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Myth 3: Raw diets are safer than commercial foods.The recent tragedy involving melamine contamination of commercial pet foods has caused much anxiety about the safety of these products. It is important to remember, however, that such events are very rare, especially considering the tens of thousands of pets eating these diets for decades. Still, if raw diets were truly safer, that would be a powerful reason to consider feeding them.

Unfortunately, there are many dangers to raw diets. Raw bones are frequently part of such diets, and these often cause fractured teeth and gastrointestinal upset, and they have been responsible for deaths from tears in the stomach and intestines.

Many raw diets tested have been shown to contain potentially deadly bacteria, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium. Dogs and cats have been shown to shed these bacteria after eating raw diets, potentially exposing other pets and humans to them, and cases of illness and death from contaminated raw meat have been published. Proper handling and cooking of raw meat can greatly reduce the risk of such bacterial infections. And contrary to the claims of some BARF proponents, there is no evidence that dogs or cats are naturally protected or immune to these infectious agents.

Intestinal parasites are very common in wild carnivores, and uncooked meat is a signifi cant source of these. One study has shown a signifi cant increase in parasitic disease in dogs fed homemade raw diets. The facts about such risks make it clear that overall raw diets are not safer than cooked commercial diets.

Myth 4: Raw diets are healthier than processedcommercial diets.

There is no evidence to support claims that dogs or cats are healthier when fed raw diets rather than balanced commercial foods, despite proponents’ claims of miraculous cures of everything from skin diseases to fl atulence. With dramatic improvements in nutrition and healthcare and the reduction of infectious disease, parasitism, and trauma as causes of death over the last few decades, our pets are living longer than ever before. Some advocates of raw diets have pointed to an increase in deaths from cancer among companion animals as evidence commercial diets are unhealthy. However, it is far more likely that the better quality of nutrition commercial diets provide has increased the lifespan of our pets, and that cancer is more common because it is a disease of aging and there are now more elderly pets than there used to be.

In summary, while there is no evidence that raw diets benefi t our pets, there are clear risks to feeding them. Though there are many myths suggesting these diets are superior to cooked commercial pet foods, the facts say otherwise. The FDA even warns that raw pet foods can increase people’s exposure to disease-causing organisms, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and intestinal parasites. This is an especially signifi cant concern for those most vulnerable, including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with depressed immune systems from HIV infection or immunosuppressive drug therapy. While additional studies are being done, at this point the evidence does not support any benefit to raw diets that might outweigh the risks. Pet owners should stick with a commercially prepared,age-appropriate pet food made by a reputable company.

41

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CRAWFISH!! Tis the season for mudbugs! A colorful and delicious boil compliments of Chris Gunalda from Mirror Image. YUMMY!

The Rotary Clubs of Slidell gather for food, fellowship and fun at the Rotary District Conference held in Bay St. Louis, MS

Our all-time favorite picture! Kendra with her friend and mentor, Frank Davis,

at last year‛s Gumbo Cookoff. We are praying for you Frank!

Ride ‘em cowgirl! Slidell Mag editor, Kendra Maness, has a blastat the Ponies & Parties barn

Gina Patrick from Tall Tails Pet

Sitting, gives Duchess (her Macaw

parrot) some lovey-dovey

Slidell Magazine proudly welcomesa new member to our family, Lee Kreil! Things are really looking up!

Slidell Magazine and NOLA Southern Grill

host a Business After Hours. L-r: Kendra;

Dawn Sharpe-Brackett, Chamber CEO; Louis

Ochoa, owner NOLA Southern Grill;

and John Smith, Chamber Board Member

The ultimate 80‛s tribute band, the

Mollyringwalds, play for thousands

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South‛s 10th Annual Crawfi sh Cookoff

OUT TAKES34th EditionSlidell Mag