COMPLIMENTARY

MAY 2018, VOL. 16 ISSUE 5

SEE PAGE 24
 Publisher / Editor
Mike Strong
Table of Contents
LA FAMILY FESTIVAL ............... 4
Sales Manager
GONZALES GARDEN CLUB .... 10
Dottie Godberry
Staff Photographer SWEET EYES W/ TANYA...........12

Jimmy Dunkley CYPRESS HALL....................................24 FOR MORE INFORMATION

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

Contributing Writers
JAMMIN’ WITH GOOSIE......... 32
Bill Delaune
THOUGHTS FROM BULLY......34
Linda Melancon
RIVER REGION ART SHOW ...38
Calvin Bessonett
Bully SNO’S RECIPE........................... 45

Goosie Guice
Orhan McMillan
Kellie Seymour
Tanya Stilley
Jimmy Dunkley

For Advertising
Information Please call:
225-622-1324

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

Note: Features in this

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

18386 Little Prairie Rd.

Prairieville, LA 70769
 River Parishes Community College Welding
Department hosted it’s Second Annual Student Night
On the evening of Thursday this event is to show
April 26th, River Parishes appreciation and give back to
Community College Welding our students, because without
Department hosted it’s second them we are out of a job!”
annual Student Night, which (Whittemore) With April being
was also a joint meeting with National Welding Month, this
the Baton Rouge Section of night was a great way to focus
the American Welding Society. not only on our students but
Mr. George Fairbanks from also Welding and all the
Fairbanks Inspection and different career paths that are
Testing and Mr. Jeremy available. “You do not have to
Whittemore from RPCC were spend the rest of your life the want.” (Whittemore) experience in industrial plants
co-presenters for this, with the being under a hood, you as a hole watch and other
talk focusing on Careers in can easily transition into Another key focus of the areas but is new to welding.
Welding and Pathways. This supervision, inspection, or night was that RPCC is very Mr. Whittemore from RPCC
event was set up last year by engineering. Welding can be proud to have partnered with has worked hand in hand with
the Lead Welding Instructor, the strong base and then both BASF and Zachry to start BASF and Zachry to set up a
Mr. Jeremy Whittemore, in just like a tree, the person a Women in Welding Appren- schedule for Kaitlyn that works
cooperation with multiple can branch out into countless ticeship Program and Kaitlyn with both school and work. She
business and industry different areas. All it Purpera was the first recipient works two days out of the
partners. “The main purpose of takes is the will and of this. She had some previous week, gaining the much
needed hands-on experience
with her mentor and then the
rest of the week attends school
to continue her education and
eventually gain her Technical
Diploma in Welding Technol-
ogy in May of 2019. With this
apprenticeship program, her
school will be covered for the
remainder of the semesters
and she is also receiving a
salary for being out in the field
working with her mentor.
For more information on the
American Welding Society or
River Parishes Community
College please contact
Mr. Jeremy Whittemore.
His direct office number is
(225) 743-8659 and his
email address is
left to right: Mike Skiles (District 9 Director of AWS), Wilbert Lewis (Student), David Dowdy (Student), George Fairbanks (FIT and Baton jwhittemore@rpcc.edu.
Rouge AWS Executive Committee Board Member), Kaitlyn Purpera (Student), Lorenzo Casso (Student), Jace Chiquelin (Student), Jeremy
Whittemore (Lead Welding Instructor RPCC, Baton Rouge AWS Section Chairman), Kenneth Young (Welding Instructor RPCC), Jennifer
Davenport (Student), Joseph Breland (Student), Ronald Broussard (Student), Chris Love (Student), Marshall Tarwater (Student)

4
 Baton Rouge 225-343-4806
Hammond Gonzales
985-429-9549 225-673-6536

Vicksburg, MS Vidalia
601-636-4840 318-442-2200

FOR ALL YOUR INDUSTRIAL GAS WELDING AND SAFETY SUPPLIES

5
Kentucky Derby on the Bayou
Do you want to know a recipe for a good time. Have a party where the women are
asked to wear flamboyant hats, enjoy a cool refreshing cocktail, spend a
little cash with boiled crawfish to boot.
Ascension Magazine was invited by hosts Terri and Norman
somewhere down the bayou for this colorful event.
The location was the perfect back drop for colorful hats and
dresses with live music and an auctioneer and wonderful
friends gathering to enjoy the derby and maybe win a friendly
wager with ‘Monopoly’ money.

6
 Race Results
First place owners: Charlotte Borne • Deanna Miles
Lynette Mire • Lynne Pennison
Second place owners: Avis Bozeman • Deanna Miles
Lynne Pennison • Debbie Dooley
Third place owners: Charlotte and A.P. Borne
Nag Owners: Terri Hooper and Norman Miller, Jr.
Kenny Melancon

Auctioneer: Dean Woitha

Congratulation to the winners of the hat contest.

7
 Altec and DEMCO:
A Partnership that Betters the Community
Founded in 1929, Altec, Inc.
has become one of the leading
providers of products and
services in the electric utility,
telecommunications, tree care,
lights and signs and contractor
markets. Altec delivers
products and services in over
100 countries around the
world. With an emphasis on
innovative product design and
integrated safety features, we
ensure that the customer is
satisfied with the final product.
Altec provides customer
support on a day-to-day basis,
fully committing ourselves to
building customer relationships
that last far beyond the
lifecycle of the equipment.

The Dixie Electric Membership

Cooperative (DEMCO) was
established in 1938, and its
first lines were energized on
July 31, 1939. An electric utility
that provides electricity to eight
counties across Louisiana,
DEMCO is committed to safely
providing the communities it
serves with economical and
reliable power.
Altec Account Manager Ed
Amedee and DEMCO Fleet
Managers Phill Zito and Rickey
Cummings have worked
together over the course of
many years, establishing a
trusting relationship that has
helped better their local
communities. Through this
partnership between Altec and
DEMCO, the companies are
able to team together to
provide quality electrical utility
service and reliable equipment
that aids in disaster relief and
education efforts.
Phill Zito has worked for
DEMCO for 41 years, moving
his way up the ranks to now
manage all of the company’s
districts, making him quite
familiar with the operations
of each sector.
Due to rough Louisiana
weather, Zito has seen
DEMCO face many challenges
throughout the years. “Altec
has provided us with additional
equipment during storms to
keep crews moving to restore
electricity in local homes,” he
says. “When we’ve needed
something, they’ve always
been there to support us.” He
believes the reliability of the
equipment enables DEMCO to
continue working through
tough times, minimizing
service and repair downtime.
In 2016, DEMCO faced one of
its biggest challenges yet with
the Louisiana floods. Zito
states, “Our vehicles were
used in just about every
fashion you can think of, and
with the issues that we did
have, Altec’s service fleets
were running around, helping
not only us but other utilities
that flooded, as well.” During
the flood restoration efforts,
Zito says, “DEMCO employees
were averaging 18-hour work
days, so Altec was on site,
trying to make sure that our
trucks were rolling.” Together,
Altec and DEMCO have
worked to provide quick
service to the Louisiana
communities during severe
storms, and as Altec Account
Manager Ed Amedee says,
"It is a team effort".
To evolve with the ever-
changing electric utility market,
Altec and DEMCO have
8
collaborated to ensure that the
cooperative receives the
equipment that it needs. Altec’s
engineers provide revisions to
equipment as it is needed to
ensure customers can
complete jobs in the most
efficient and effective ways.
Zito says, “They’ve made
adjustments to their equipment
to accommodate everything
that the utility industry needs.”
Each year, DEMCO sponsors
electrical safety presentations
at which elementary school
children are taught how to
recognize and report
dangerous situations. Rickey
Cummings, a DEMCO
employee of 30 years, says,
“We try to show them the ins
and outs during a storm.” The
cooperative’s dedication to
safety goes beyond the
workplace, recognizing the
importance of informing local
communities about safety
protocols during storms.
Cummings has also been an
instructor at the statewide live
line school since 2001, which
teaches student linemen how
to perform jobs safely and
correctly. He says that Altec is
the main provider of the bucket
trucks used to teach students
about safety, enabling DEMCO
to continue to provide service
to the community without
interruption. Cummings
explains, “If we didn’t have
Altec’s help, we would have to
pull trucks from all over the
state, and it would put our
co-ops in a bind.”
Zito sums up Altec and
DEMCO’s relationship well,
saying, “As far as a company
that’s willing to work with its
customers, it’s almost as if
they have an unspoken
mission of caring for us.”
We appreciate DEMCO’s
loyalty and look forward to
providing tailored solutions for
any of their jobsite needs.
Amedee would like to
continue to strengthen the
relationship with DEMCO,
saying, “Altec and DEMCO
bring better service to the
Louisiana community.” Altec
is committed to growing
relationships with all of our
customers to assist them in
their daily roles to maintain
power and bring safety
education to the communities
in which they serve.
9
 Gonzales Garden Club Hosts Plant Sale

Longtime GGC Member Mabel Savoy has

a faithful customer, Anita Ramirez.
Retired teachers Linda Mayers and Donna
Reynaud reconnected by surprise.

Cynthia Cagnolatti serves as cashier.

The Gonzales Garden Club held a displays of plants, garden tools

successful plant and bake sale on
April 27. Because of construction
on the City Hall lawn, the event
was moved to the Jambalaya Park
Playground. The park’s walkways
and seating areas allowed
shoppers easy access to the
and horticultural accessories.
The playground also served as an
inviting space to socialize in the
lovely weather. The new venue
proved to be a comfortable spot
Community members find a variety of bargain plants.
for the club’s annual event.

L to R: Conchita Richey, Mabel Savoy, Lorraine Gautreau, Mary Jo The GGC is proud to welcome three new mem- The 2018 Gonzales Garden Club Flower Show winners
Pohlig, Gwen Heck, Jamis D’Benedetto and Barbara McCormick bers. L to R: Dale Bowman, Pam Fiegel and are third place Janis D’Benedetto, second place Mary Jo
received certificates for perfect attendance. Sandy Stewart.. Pohlig and first place Patti Mouton.

flower show results. Each member

GGC May Meeting
The final business meeting for the
2017-18 calendar year of the
Gonzales Garden Club was held
May 2 at the Clarion Hotel. The club
celebrated perfect attendance, a
Circle of Roses membership, and
shared her most memorable moment
of the year. GGC President Jamie
Trisler’s reflections attributed the
club’s established longevity and
vitality to its strong ongoing
leadership and dedicated
membership for shared
responsibility and volunteerism. Conchita Richey, Myra Mire, Ellen Posey and Lorraine Gautreau are
Circle Of Roses Recipients who collectively comprise 128 years of
membership in the Gonzales Garden Club.

Attendees at the May GGC meeting were L to R front): Dana Teepell, Mary Jo Pohlig (squatting), Janis Poche,
Twenty-year GGC Member Ellen Richmond Posey (center) receives a pink
Cynthia Cagnolatti, Weezie Cashat, Myra Mire, Loretta Ramirez, Loretta Speligene, Mabel Savoy, Lorraine
rose presented by Chairman Priscilla Monson (left) and Co-Chairman
Gautreau, Patti Mouton, and back row: Marilyn Rice, Gail Lonibos, Conchita Richey, Ellen Posey, Gwen Heck,
Marilyn Rice (right) as a symbol of the club’s recognition of her nomination
Janis D’Benedetto, Priscilla Monson, Jamie Trisler, Sandy Stewart, Cathy Venable, Rita Bourque, Barbara
into the LGCF Circle of Roses.
McCormick, Pam Fiegel and Dale Bowman.
 N. O. Spring Garden Show
Members of the Gonzales Garden Club attended
the Spring Garden Show at the New Orleans
Botanical Garden in City Park on Sunday, April 8.
The group browsed a wide selection of plants,
garden products, art, and specialty items. Each
member filled out a botanical passport as she
made her way through the various horticultural
stations to receive a free super plant at the end of
the visit. This annual event was sponsored by
the LSU AgCenter.

Gonzales Garden Club Members breaking for lunch at the New Orleans
Spring Garden Show are (seated from left) Mary Jo Pohlig, Cynthia
Cagnolatti, Dale Bowman, Patti Mouton, Weezie Cashat, and Barbara Mc-
Cormick, with Conchita Richey standing.

Commercial Residential

The Commercial Landscape of the Month is Ascension Credit Union on S. Burnside near Hwy 30.
The newly landscaped entrance boasts the colors of nandina, miniature knockout roses and
miniature day lilies with small ornamental trees. Pictured in the center of the photo are the
business administrators: (L to R) Marketing/Business Development Officer Rebecca Law,
Administrator/Project Manager Sharlene Begnaud, Chief Operating Officer Susan Curtis and
CEO/President Lloyd Cockerham.
The Gonzales Garden Club chose Yards of the Month for May. The residential winner is Mrs. Shirley
Warner on East Great Haven Avenue off S. Burnside Avenue. Azalea shrubbery in her beds are
generously bordered by red, pink and white begonias and white petunias. Her accent crape myrtle
is also circled by the flowering annuals, and the thick lawn is uniformly green and perfectly edged.

As a Woman
Thinks
I’d like to encourage every woman
reading this article -Mom, single,
single Mom, unable to have
children, no matter what your
situation, who you are, or where
you came from…I’d like to
encourage you.
Proverbs 23:7 states, “As a man
(or in this case, woman) thinks, so
(s)he shall be”. But what does
that mean exactly? It means you
will have exactly what you think
you will have, what you expect and
that includes every arena of your
life. Of course God’s will always
prevails, because He can overcome
our stinkin’ thinkin’, but my point
is, you have to believe first and
then walk in the way of faith. This
is true in the area of our health,
finances, work, relationships,
whatever the department that is in
your life. And despite not even
believing initially, you have to
become so intentional of thinking
on those things that are lovely,
just, and of good reports that
eventually these thoughts go from
your mind to your heart. That’s
where true victory is!
“But quite often I think badly,”
you might say. Yes, I agree that
our minds tend to gravitate to bad
thoughts and ideas ourselves and
our situations. I mean, how many
times have I done something…let’s
say didn’t accomplish something
or made a mess and told myself,
“You’re stupid!” but that’s
self-defeating and a lie!
12
The good news is we can
reprogram our thoughts and
self-talk. Reprogramming our
minds does however take energy
and effort. It’s something we
must discipline ourselves to do
intentionally, every day if possible.
So how might you ask? Well, here
are a few ways I reprogram my
mind and heart every day.
Thankfulness and
Thoughtfulness -
Thankfulness is powerful. Being
thankful for what you have opens
the door for more in your life.
I believe when you first wake up
in the morning, you should say
“Thank you”. Thank you for
another day, thank you for an
opportunity to live. There’s always
something to be thankful for.
Remember, your worst day could
be someone’s best day.
Also, thinking of others shifts the
focus from your problems to
others and how you might be a
blessing to them. Ask God to use
you to be a blessing to someone
each and every day. It doesn’t
have to be anything big - a smile,
a kind text or compliment. Those
things bless the receiver, but it
blesses the giver even more.
Declaring Good
Things over
Yourself and Your
Circumstances –
It’s one thing to think a good
thought, but it’s altogether differ-
ent to actually say them to yourself
out loud. It may feel odd at first,
but I promise you as you make this
a habit of your life, it will get
easier, and not only that, you’ll
feel your heart and spirit start to
lift, reprogram and most
importantly….believe!
Here are a few declarations you
can start declaring
over yourself: “I am
beautiful. I am smart
and wise. I make
good decisions. I am
blessed. I have
unlimited potential
living within me. I
am loved. I have
healthy relationships.
I have all I need. I
am a lender and not
a borrower. I am
healthy and treat my
body well.”
Surrounding
Yourself –
Your environment has
a huge influence on
you. Whether that’s
your home, your friends, the shows
you watch, the music you listen to.
Surround yourself with visual
reminders and words that keep
you filled with joy and love.
Those are just a few tips I use to
keep my mind programmed for
wholeness and health. Remember
it’s not about perfection, but
consistency and don’t despise
small beginnings. Just get
started…those are the
toughest steps!
~Thanks to my Mom, Deborah,
and all the Mom’s out there that
work every waking moment to
have a hearts and homes filled
with love.
XOXO- Sweet Eyes
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13
15
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16
Congratulations FINANCIAL FOCUS
How Can You
Meet Your
Jacque Short-term
Goals?
Why do you invest? If you’re like
most people, you’d probably say
that, among other things, you
want to retire comfortably.
Obviously, that’s a worthy long-
term goal, requiring long-term
investing. But as you journey
through life, you’ll also have
short-term goals, such as buying
a second home, remodeling your
kitchen or taking a much-needed
vacation. Will you need to invest
differently for these goals than
you would for the long-term ones?
To answer that question, let’s first
look at how you might invest to
achieve your longer-term goals.
For these goals, the key invest-
ment ingredient is growth – quite
simply, you want your money to
grow as much as possible over
time. Consequently, you will likely
want a good percentage of
growth-oriented vehicles, such as
stocks and other stock-based
investments, to fund your 401(k),
IRA or other accounts.
However, the flip side of growth is
risk. Stocks and stock-based
investments will always fluctuate
in value – which means you could
lose some, or even all, of your
principal. Hopefully, though, by
putting time on your side – that is,
by holding your growth-oriented
investments for decades – you
can overcome the inevitable
short-term price drops.
In short, when investing for long-
term goals, you’re seeking
Publisher’s Note:
I am extremely proud of your
achievement. I know you prefer
not to be in the spot light but too
late. I’m showcasing my
daughter-in-law’s great success.
With Love,
Mike Strong
Jamie Lavigne, Financial Advisor
4600 Sherwood Common Blvd, #103 • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6609 • 225.292.4971 (O)
17
significant growth and, in doing
so, you’ll have to accept some
degree of investment risk. But
when you’re after short-term
goals, the formula is somewhat
different:
You don’t need maximum growth
potential as much as you need to
be reasonably confident that a
certain amount of money will be
there for you at a certain time.
You may want to work with a
financial professional to select the
appropriate investments for your
short-term goals. But, in general,
you’ll need these investments to
provide you with the following
attributes:
• Protection of principal – As
mentioned above, when you own
stocks, you have no assurance
that your principal will be pre-
served; there’s no agency, no
government office, guaranteeing
that you won’t lose money. And
even some of the investments
best suited for short-term goals
won’t come with full guarantees,
either, but, by and large, they do
offer you a reasonable amount of
confidence that your principal
will remain intact.
• Liquidity – Some short-term in-
vestments have specific terms –
i.e., two years, three years, five
years, etc. – meaning you do
have an incentive to hold these
investments until they mature.
Otherwise, if you cash out early,
you might pay some price, such
as loss of value or loss of the
income produced by these
investments. Nonetheless, these
types of investments are usually
not difficult to sell, either before
they mature or at maturity, and
this liquidity will be helpful to you
when you need the money to
meet your short-term goal.
• Stability of issuer – Although
most investments suitable for
short-term goals do provide a
high degree of preservation of
principal, some of the issuers of
these investments are stronger
and more stable than others –
and these strong and stable is-
suers are the ones you should
stick with.
Ultimately, most of your invest-
ment efforts will probably go
toward your long-term goals. But
your short-term goals are still
important – and the right
investment strategy can help
you work toward them.
 "How to Retain
SM Audience"
by Orhan Mc Millan
dezinsINTERACTIVE
In this day in age, technology has
allowed us to connect with the
world easier than ever before. Social
media can help deepen your
connections with existing customers,
and it allows you to market your
product to new consumers on a
more personal level.
With times constantly changing, it’s
important to stay on top of recent
trends and maximize marketing
efficiency. In this article, you’ll
discover four ways to increase
customer retention via social media.
#1: Get to Know Your
Customers as Individuals
Customers want to be more than
just a number or email address you
send invoices to. Getting to know
them better and learning what’s
important to them allows you to
anticipate your customers’ needs
and offer appropriate solutions for
new challenges they face.
Profile enrichment services will help
you fill the gaps in your knowledge
about your customers. For example,
Clearbit for Salesforce can scour
social media services and other
available data sources for insights
and deliver more complete profiles
of each audience member.
Armed with these insights, your sales
team will be better equipped to
personalize sales pitches and appeal
directly to your customers’ real
needs.
#2: Make Sure Your
Business Is Easy to Find
on Social Media
This sounds easy, but far too many
businesses are difficult to find on
social media. They either restrict
their activities to one or two social
networks, or simply don’t promote
their social media profiles enough for
anyone to notice.
The customer service experience
has changed profoundly in
recent years.
Email and call centers remain
valuable touchpoints for customers.
At the same time, however,
increasing numbers of customers are
active enough on social media that
they expect you to be reachable
where they are.
Solving this challenge is relatively
easy.
Identify the social media platforms
where your customers are active and
talking about you, and be sure to
maintain active profiles on those
platforms. Then promote your
various social media profiles on your
site and in your communications
with customers.
#3: Utilize Social Media
Management Tools
Again, being dedicated to solving
your customers’ challenges means
your customer support team needs
to maximize efficiency and
18
effectiveness on social media.
In recent times, advertising and
marketing has evolved with the
change in technology. Fortunately, the
major social networks have
embraced their changing roles and
developed powerful solutions to help
you optimize support efforts from
within social apps.
Other third-party applications, such
as SproutSocial, allow you to manage
multiple social media accounts
through a single platform and even
schedule when your posts will be
made ahead of time. This helps
ensure your social media accounts
are not only active but consistent in
the timing of your posts.
#4: Help Your Customers
Spread the Word for You
If the only people seeing your posts
are those who are already familiar
with your company, the “social” part
of your online presence can be
significantly limited. Encouraging your
customers to leave feedback and
share their experiences can help
boost your social media presence
and extend your marketing to new
potential clients.
Look out for customer testimonials
on social media and share them with
other customers.You can do this
through your Facebook page, on
Twitter, and elsewhere whenever
customers @mention your business.
Testimonials are a powerful form of
social proof and feedback for your
business.
Be sure to retweet or repost
customers’ raves and reach out to
them directly if they express
dissatisfaction on social media. When
you reach out directly to a customer
on social media, even if you do it
privately to address a complaint, you
might be able to persuade an
uncertain customer to stick with
your solution and even reverse a
customer’s decision to move to a
different solution.
Conclusion
One of the more effective ways to
retain existing customers is through
social media. The reason for this is
social media is a deeply personal
platform that delivers deep insights
into customers’ behaviors and
preferences. Social media marketing
is an effective way to develop
one-to-one relationships with
customers and encourage them to
continue using your business
in the future.
For more tips on social media
management and other marketing-
related topics be sure to subscribe
to our newsletter. Looking to
increase your social media presence?
Give us a call at 225-615-8358. At
dezinsINTERACTIVE, our team is
ready to assist in all your social

Oral Cancer
The Importance of
Early Detection
By Calvin Bessonet, DDS,FAGD
Ascension Premier Dental
Your dentist has recent good news
about progress against cancer. It is
now easier than ever to detect oral
cancer early, when the opportunity
for a cure is great. Only half of all
patients diagnosed with oral cancer
survive more than five years.
Your dentist has the skills and tools
to ensure that early signs of cancer
and pre- cancerous conditions are
identified. You and your dentist can
fight and win the battle against oral
cancer. Know the early signs and see
your dentist regularly.
You Should Know
• Oral Cancer often starts as a tiny,
unnoticed white or red spot or sore
anywhere in the mouth.
• It can affect any area of the oral
cavity including the lips, gum tissue,
check lining, tongue and the hard or
soft palate.
- A sore that bleeds easily or does
• Other signs include:
- A color change of the oral tissues
not heal
- A lump, thickening, rough spot,
- Pain, tenderness, or numbness
crust or small eroded area
anywhere in the mouth or on
- Difficulty chewing, swallowing,
the lips
13053 Hwy 73, Ste A Geismar, La 70734 • Call:
speaking or moving the
- A change in the way the teeth fit
jaw or tongue.
together
• Oral Cancer most often occurs in
those who use tobacco in any
form.
• Alcohol use combined with
smoking greatly increases risk.
• Prolonged exposure to the sun
increases the risk of lip cancer.
• Oral cancers can occur in people
who do not smoke and have no
other known risk factors.
• Oral Cancer is more likely to
strike after age 40.
• Studies suggest that a diet high in
fruits and vegetables may prevent
the hdevelopment of potentially
cancerous lesions.
Regular Dental Check-ups
Important
Oral cancer screening is a routine
part of a dental examination. Regu-
lar check-ups, including an examina-
tion of the entire mouth, are
essential in the early detection of
cancerous and pre-cancerous condi-
tions. You may have a very small, but
dangerous, oral spot or sore and not
be aware of it.
Your dentist will carefully examine
the inside of your mouth and tongue
and in some patients may notice a
flat, painless, white or red spot or a
small sore. Although most of these
are harmless, some are not. Harmful
oral spots or sores often look identi-
cal to those that are harmless, but
testing can tell them apart. If you
have a sore with a
PREMIER DENTAL
Calvin G. Bessonet, DDS, FAGD
19
likely cause, your dentist may
treat it and ask you to return
for re-examination.
Dentists often will notice a spot or
sore that looks harmless and does
not have a clear cause. To ensure
that a spot or sore is not dangerous,
your dentist may choose to perform
a simple test, such as a brush test. A
brush test collects cells from a
suspicious lesion in the mouth.
The cells are sent to a laboratory for
analysis. If precancerous cells
are found, the lesion can be
surgically removed if necessary
during a separate procedure. It’s im-
portant to know that all atypical and
positive results from a brush test
must be confirmed by incisional
biopsy and histology.
Facts About Oral Cancer
Incidence and Mortality
• Oral cancer strikes an estimated 34,360 Ameri-
cans each year. An estimated 7,550 people (5,180
men and 2,370 women) will die of these cancers in
2007.
• More than 25% of the 30,000 Americans who get
oral cancer will die of the disease.
• On average, only half of those diagnosed with
the disease will survive more than five years.
• African-Americans are especially vulnerable; the
incidence rate is 1/3 higher than whites and the
mortality rate is almost twice as high.
Risk Factors
• Although the use of tobacco and alcohol are risk
factors in developing oral cancer, approximately
25% of oral cancer patients have no known risk
225.217.2688 • www. AscensionDentist.com
factors.
• There has been a nearly five-fold increase in inci-
dence in oral cancer patients
under age 40, many with no known risk factors.
• The incidence of oral cancer in women has in-
creased significantly, largely due to
an increase in women smoking. In 1950 the male
to female ratio was 6:1; by 2002, it was 2:1.
Prevention and Detection
• The best way to prevent oral cancer is to avoid
tobacco and alcohol use.
• Regular dental check-ups, including an examina-
tion of the entire mouth, are
essential in the early detection of cancerous and
pre-cancerous conditions.
• Many types of abnormal cells can develop in the
oral cavity in the form of red or
white spots. Some are harmless and benign, some
are cancerous and others are pre-cancerous, mean-
ing they can develop into cancer if not detected
early and removed. (American Cancer Society)
• Finding and removing epithelial dysplasias before
they become cancer can be one of the most effec-
tive methods for reducing the incidence of cancer.
• Knowing the risk factors and seeing your dentist
for oral cancer screenings can help prevent this
deadly disease. Routine use of the Pap smear since
1955, for example, dramatically reduced the inci-
dence and mortality rates for cervical cancer in the
United States.
• Oral cancer is often preceded by the presence of
clinically identifiable premalignant changes. These
lesions may present as either white or red patches
or spots. Identifying white and red spots that show
dysplasia and removing them before they become
cancer is an effective method for reducing the inci-
dence and mortality of cancer.
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 YOUR ESTATE MATTERS
By Linda Melancon
ENJOY SPRING
AND NATIONAL
ELDER LAW
MONTH
It’s that time of year again - Spring
has sprung, the flowers are blooming,
and Elder Law attorneys across the
US are celebrating National Elder
Law Month. If you’re unfamiliar with
the celebration, here’s a primer.
Since 1963, the month of May has
been used to celebrate our nation’s
elderly. President Kennedy called it
Senior Citizens Month, while
President Carter called it Older
Americans Month. The National
Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
(NAELA) supports this annual
proclamation by upholding May as
National Elder Law Month.
During this month, we recognize all
that this profession encompasses and
the wide variety of ways that elder law
attorneys help their clients. Elder law
attorneys are unique, serving a
specific type of client, as opposed to
practicing a specific type of law. In
fact, most elder law attorneys will be
qualified to give advice about wills,
trusts, and powers of attorney;
guardianships (known as interdictions
in Louisiana); financing long-term
care (including Medicaid and VA
benefits); and, special needs planning.
Some elder law attorneys give advice
about social security benefits, elder
abuse and disability law as well. And
some may even go so far as to assist in
locating the appropriate type of care,
coordinating private and public
resources to finance the cost of care,
and working to ensure the client's
right to quality care.
With laws and regulations becoming
more complex, the number of legal
problems that affect the elderly are
growing - especially when you take
into consideration the complexity of
Medicaid and other government
benefit programs, and how trying to
navigate the systems alone can often
have unintended consequences. Just
one action in regard to a single matter
can affect eligibility to other programs
and services, potentially disqualifying
someone from receiving benefits they
are entitled to. It is incredibly
important that your elder law
attorney has a broad understanding of
these complexities to ensure that you
avoid problems in the future.
It is also crucial to check with your
elder law attorney about what areas of
law they specialize in. Because elder
law meets such a wide variety of
needs, it would be nearly impossible
for one person to be a pro in all areas.
Once you find out what specific
concerns you want to address, speak
with your attorney to make sure they
are more than familiar with what ac-
tions need to be taken, and are skilled
in your particular needs.
A good elder law attorney will not
only bring knowledge of the law to
the table, but also an understanding
of the elderly and the sometimes very
real physical and mental difficulties of
the aging process that allows them to
address a client in a compassionate
way. Whether it’s a parent who is not
ready to acknowledge that they need
day-to-day help, or the spouse of
someone with rapidly declining
health, an elder law attorney will find
a way to work with the client and
their family to find the right solution,
and the one that is in the best
interest of the client.
To get more information about elder
law or to find an attorney who can
help you, check out a few of our most
trusted resources. The first is The
Louisiana Aging and Disability
Resource Center. They provide a
toll-free number to “assist older
adults and persons with disabilities in
locating supportive services and
eldercare resources in order to
continue living as they choose in their
community.” Their toll-free number
is 1-877-340-9100 and their website
is www.louisianaanswers.com. The
second resource is The Advocacy
Center, a non-profit organization
based in New Orleans, but with
offices in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and
Shreveport. They publish an excellent
guide about interdiction and powers
of attorney specifically related to
Louisiana. That document can be
downloaded at www.advocacyla.org.
And finally, for a wider geographical
range, www.NAELA.org is the
website for The National Academy
of Elder Law Attorneys.
Happy Elder Law Month!
The information provided is not intended to
be legal advice and does not constitute an
attorney/client relationship. You should consult
with an attorney for individual advice regarding
your own situation.
Ms. Melancon is an attorney with Legacy Estate &
Elder Law of Louisiana, LLC, with offices in
Baton Rouge, LA and Prairieville, LA. The
primary focus of her practice is estate planning,
probate, special needs planning and elder law. For
more information or to attend an upcoming
estate planning seminar, call her office at
(225) 744-0027

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23
 Life As It Should Be
M E E T O U R S T A F F

Judy Naquin Megan Babin Amanda Williams

Executive Director Life Enrichment Director Marketing Director

Who is Francois Bend?

Francois Bend unites young and old on a path to success that creates a unique culture for senior living.
Francois Bend is a beautiful, amenity-rich, senior living campus with 108 apartments located on 7.5 acres in the community of Gonzales.
The campus enjoys easy accessibility to Baton Rouge, New Orleans Metro area and North Shore. The campus is centrally located to
acute care and rehabilitation hospitals, physician offices, churches, law enforcement agencies, city government offices and shopping.
Francois Bend offers independent living, as well as 3 levels of assisted living plus dedicated memory care. All apartments are
licensed for assisted living so residents can remain in the same apartment even when more assistance is necessary.
At Francois Bend, our managers live on site to ensure your safety and quality of services.
Our senior staff possesses the qualities that will bring experience, compassion, professionalism,
and patience needed to exceed our residents and families expectations everyday.
We look forward to serving the residents of Ascension Parish.

What is our philosophy?

We believe a broad range of amenities and services is important and we recognize and respect everyone’s right to privacy.
We remain open to the personal preferences of each resident and we work to provide a plan that best suits each person’s needs.

We believe that simply meeting your expectations is never acceptable. Francois bend truly believes in always exceeding our residents
expectations. We have a modern look with a warm welcoming attitude that will be felt within every interaction with our team.
 The Francois Bend Way of Life

Amenities & Services Activities Assisted Living

Residents and their families are Francois Bend ‘s Independent Living
encouraged to take part in both on and off is for adults who are able to maintain
• Beauty / Barber shop • Housekeeping their independence but want a
• Flexible dining hours & laundry
campus activities. Some of our on-campus
activities include guest speakers and maintenance-free and safe and
and options • Pet care and easy secure environment.
special events at Time Out, our sports bar.
• Sports bar with access bracelets Our scheduled off-campus activities
special events • 3 Meals a day and may include a shopping trip, sports event or Francois Bend offers 3 Levels of
• Game room 2 snacks a trip to the theatre. Assistance to adults who want to
• Golf Simulator • Spacious apartments maintain their independence but need
• Walking paths gardens and outdoor activity extra support. Each of these levels
• Arts and crafts studio areas of assistance includes the amenities
• 24-hour security • We offer transportation
Memory Care and services listed above.
• Registered dietitian to scheduled Francois Bend’s Memory Care is a secure, In order to determine the appropriate
• Licensed staff appointments specialized environment for residents with level of service, each resident’s
• Wellness center with • Cable provided, memory loss. The dedicated area health status is assessed prior to
physical therapist However DVR & includes 24 apartments attended by move-in and periodically reviewed
on staff upgrade services specially-trained staff in dementia care. throughout their residency. An
• Internet access are the residents Each resident has an individual care plan additional fee relative to the
Phone Line responsibility. to promote good health, cognition and level of care is then added to
• Accessibility physical status. the monthly rent.

Please call us to schedule a tour with team Francois Bend today.

See for yourself life as it should be.

326 East Industry Ave., Gonzales, LA 70737 • (225) 647-2363 • francoisbend.com

 The 1st Annual Catfish Rodeo was held and
42 fisherman signed up to compete in the
event. Over 800 lbs. of catfish were turned in.
This event was a fundraiser for Dreams
Come True and St. Jude. Fred’s on the river
wants to thank everyone who helped this event
get rolling this year and we are looking for
bigger and better things next year. The event
will be held the 2nd weekend in April next year.
The amount of $6000 was raised of which
Dreams Come True and St Jude
received $3000 each.
This Years Results:

Top five fish were weighed for

heaviest stringer results
1st ... Richard Ballard ... 68.8 lbs.
2nd ... David Fugler ... 59.5 lbs.
3rd... Daniel Dupuy ... 53.1 lbs.

Big Fish
1st ... Jimmy Newman ... 34.5 lbs.
2nd ... Brycen Ball ... 27.1 lbs.
3rd... Daniel Dupuy ... 24.3 lbs.
 Congratulations
Freds on the River Tennis team!!!
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 MONDAY TO FRIDAY 7AM - 5PM
SATURDAYS 8AM - NOON

28
 Tournaments, Festivals and Other
Things in the Spring
Reminding my fading, feeble
brain of some memorable
spring events with notes on an
extremely thick Fair Grounds
Betting Guide while a 3-inch
rain in Louisville washes away
all my Kentucky Derby angles…
I don’t know what happened
to the old Daily Racing Form
which you could fold up and
put in your back pocket but
this new Brisnet Biblical size
book is more than the average
handicapper can handle. I was
reminded of one of my old
college coach’s comments
about the 400 plus page
NCAA manual.
“No wonder nobody knows
the regulations anymore,” he
reasoned. “The Lord only gave
us Ten Commandments and
look what we do with those.”
Anyway, it didn’t take a
scholar with the Biblical wisdom
of Solomon to pick Bob
Baffert’s latest monster Justify
to win the Kentucky Derby. A
colt that can run the first half
mile in a speedy 45 seconds in a
quagmire and still finish that far
ahead of the field after 1 and ¼
miles has Triple Crown stamped
all over his forehead.
The wise guys will concede
the Preakness to Justify with
those tight turns and a shorter
distance at Pimlico playing right
into his running style. But as
they also say at the track,
“Never was there a man alive
could make any money at 3-5.”
Wait until the mile and ½
Belmont and try to beat him
with Audible or My Boy Jack…
The Zurich Classic is rapidly
becoming a favorite of the PGA
pros with its 2-man format and
the New Orleans flavored food
and rules-one of which allowed
players to choose “walk-up
music” (like a baseball player
stepping into the batter’s box)
as they strode to the first tee.
Some were predictable like
former LSU golfer Sam Burns
30
selecting “Calling Baton
Rouge” (Garth Brooks) and
University High grad Patrick
Reed going with “Eye of the
Tiger” (Survivor).
Others took on a more
national theme from the
moving bagpipe version of
“Flower of Scotland” for the
Scottish pairing of Martin Laird
and Russell Knox to “Down
Under” (Men at Work) for
Aussies Jason Day and
Ryan Ruffles.
Some of the crowd favorites
were “Ebony and Ivory”
(McCartney and Wonder) for
African-American Harold
Varner III and his Caucasian
partner Robert Garrigus and a
head banging performance by
Alex Cejka and Ben Crane
to Whitesnake’s “Here I
Go Again”.
Of course, that brought up a
lively discussion in the gallery as
to what song we would each
choose if we were ever in that
by Bill Delaune
position. Pause here for
hilarious laughter at the
thought of yours truly in a
professional golf tournament.
But in my fantasy event, I
chose “Little Bit Crazy” by
Cajun country artist Eddy
Raven. For one thing, Raven is
from Lafayette so we’d have the
South Louisiana thing going
there. Secondly, I think those
who know me would agree that
the title is somewhat descriptive
of my sophomoric behavior at
times. And since you only get a
few lines of the song played
(The only complaint from the
crowd was they wanted longer
versions.), I’ll go with the
opening lines of Raven’s hit…
“Got bayou water running
through my veins, I don’t back
off and I don’t complain.
That’s the way I am-a little
bit crazy…”
While I’m in Never-Never
Land, I also want that rune
played when I come out of the
Yankee bullpen to save the
pennant against the evil
Red Sox.
Hey, so it’s not Metallica’s
“Enter Sandman” that Mariano
Rivera would enter to when he
put teams to sleep in the last
inning. But it’s my dream-I
can play whatever I want.
Another cool part of the
Zurich format is that the players
are far more relaxed than on the
weekly grind of individual tour
events. Most of them are
playing with their buddies and
there is more interaction with
the crowd and even some
betting updates from
their caddies.
When I commented to the
bagman of a former LSU golfer
(who shall remain nameless)
after a nice birdie, he replied,
“Yeah, but we’re still 50 bucks
down to those dogs,” pointing
to another ex-Tiger in the
group.
Oh-little side action between
old friends, eh? Think I’ve been
down that road once or twice
before.
The relaxed atmosphere
carried over to the Acme Oyster
tent when my coaching cohort
Dennis Lorio and I took a lunch
break leaving the third member
of our coaching triumvirate
Tommy Douglas relaxing on his
own under a tree near the
8th green.
Now we didn’t make a lot
of money in the coaching
profession but every now and
then there are some interesting
perks-as in, “Hey, Coach, I
didn’t use all my drink tickets-
you need a couple?”
Needless to say, we acquired
quite a stash before leaving our
viewpoint overlooking the 13th
green to go meet Tommy, the
most important person on the
grounds-our designated driver.
Thanks to a golden parking pass
provided by maintenance
director Jamie Worsham, we
didn’t have far to stagg…I
mean walk.
We made it back to St.
Amant, dropped off Dennis
and headed…home? Are you
kidding? Not when there’s still
another soiree to attend-this
one being the NFL Draft party
hosted by Gator defensive
coordinator Duane Thomassee.
It’s a good thing the Saints
traded up from 27th to the 14th
pick to take UTSA defensive
end Marcus Davenport or I
might not have seen it. But
when I called him “Willie
Davenport”, Tommy wisely
decided to take me home.
“Bill, Willie Davenport
was a hurdler from Southern
University who won a gold
medal in the 1968 Olympics,”
he calmly explained on the way.
“Oh, so I guess we didn’t
draft Lindsay Davenport
either,” I surmised.
But speaking of 1968…
When you’re talking to a
group of people who claimed to
be at one of the first Jambalaya
Festivals 50 years ago and one
of the first comments is, “I’ve
had amnesia for as long as I can
remember…”-you know it’s
going to be a fun discussion.
But since memories are short
and this story’s too long, here is
a brief list of some of the things
recalled at the 1968 Festival.
And remember how many brain
cells that a collection of my
friends (the ones who aren’t
dead or in jail) and I have
destroyed…
1. Burnside Street being
blocked off in front of what’s
now Gonzales Primary
31
creating a real “street dance”
atmosphere.
2. Wading through a sea of
beer cans to get from one booth
or band to another.
3. Walking to the Festival site
from pre-game activities at local
hangout Fish-N-Pic (located
where the old Dalton’s
Restaurant used to be) and
hiking to post-Festival dances
at Bobby’s Lounge.
4. Swimming in the pits of
the then under-construction
Highway 30. At least the traffic
was certainly lighter back then.
5. Boone’s Farm wine in
easily accessible leather pouches.
I’m sure you have your own
memories-no matter how foggy-
but these days I sometime do
better with events of long ago
then where I was yesterday…
Having two sons (who grew
up in a dugout) and five
grandsons, baseball has always
been a huge part of our
springtime activities. And as
hard as I try, I have not
perfected the quantum leap
technique of being in two or
even three places at once. So at
family gatherings, I try to get
updates from the boys about
games I might have missed.
A recent conversation went
something like this…
Me- What’s the best hit
you’ve got this season?
Will (age 14)-I hit a 330 foot
home run out of the park in
Hammond!
Cade (age 10)-An inside-the-
park homer at Cypress Mounds.
Reece (age 7)-I hit a foul ball
into the crowd and one lady had
to cover her head and another
one fell out of her chair trying
to get out of the way (followed
by demonic laughter)!
Oh well, whatever tickles your
fancy. Vive la difference!
The moral to this rambling
essay is-to paraphrase Jimmy
Buffet-that there’s “so many
nice things happening out
there…” get out and
experience a few.
Turn off Fox News and CNN
and get outside and play golf or
watch a local tournament. Go
see a youth baseball game-just
watch the foul balls. Throw a
crawfish boil for your favorite
graduate. Make a round by the
51st Jambalaya Festival on
May 25-27 and do a little
Cajun dance.
And just for Schlittz and
Giggles, put a couple of bucks
on a longshot named Quip to
upset Justify in the Preakness
Stakes and watch it on your
outdoor TV.
And no complaints about the
heat until summer officially
gets here.
 memories came to mind. The dec-
oration of the studio in which so
many young girls and boys enjoyed
for so long really caught my atten-
tion. The background sported an
old rifle, a buck mount, a couple
animal skins, some steel traps and
an American flag. I wonder how
this setting would be accepted by
some of our society at this day and
time. The influence that the experi-
ence had on us as young kids was a
good one. We were brought up to
enjoy, use and respect these gifts of
life to the fullest. The skins on the ham quoted on the broadcast in
wall didn't reflect that the setting memory of our gentle giant "The
was against animals. As many peo- world suffers greatly for the loss of
ple recall, Buckskin Bill was a such a person", is such a true state-
How Times Have Changed major force in the development of
the Baton Rouge Zoo. He also en-
ment. Buckskin will be missed
along with his attitude and values
The Baton Rouge area lost one couraged Baton Rouge area chil- of life....
of its most famous people of all dren to help save money for the
times this past winter. Bill Black, zoo's first two elephants, Penny Till Next Time,
known by most of us as Buckskin and Penny Too by saving pennies.
Bill passed away at 88 years of age. This world wasn't perfect then,
Most of us in my age group grew it ain't now, and it most likely "Thanks Buckskin Bill",
up enjoying the kindness and char- never will be. But I do believe my James "Goosie" Guice
acter of this gentle giant. After his generation (who by the way could
passing, WBRZ aired a thirty play Cowboys and Indians with cap
minute special on the life and times guns) came away with better values
of the Buckskin Bill broadcast. As I of life than what's being accepted
viewed the program, so many great today. As weatherman Mike Gra-

Bands of responding as we were sitting with

Brothers,
or Not?
It was calm, cool November
morning. Day two of our three
day hunt down in the beautiful
marsh of Southwest, Louisiana.
Our first hunt was far from spectac-
ular, with only four ducks for our
three man team, consisting of my-
self, my son, and our friend/guide.
I can still here him reminding us
the afternoon before, that tomor-
row is a different day. The next
morning, there was a little more
wind, and the ducks seemed to be
12 birds on the stringer at 7:30! It
was then that we saw a huge flight
of ducks heading our way from the
southwest. Before too long we
could hear that beautiful, hair rais-
ing sound of a pintail whistle! We
were crouched down with anticipa-
tion, as the flight of twenty beauti-
ful birds made their second and
third dance around our decoy
spread, descending ever so slightly,
with every pass. The call was made
from our lead man that we were
going to shoot on the next pass.
This is where the story
changes……
From out of nowhere, seven
Black-bellied Whistling ducks
appear from the west, flying over
the decoys! “Take em boys” was
the command, and we obeyed, as
the three males crash
landed in the pond.
Immediately, our lead
man started apologiz-
ing for not waiting
for the pintail to cir-
cle back one last
time, but said we
could not pass up the
shot over the decoy
spread. It was
around this time that
Cami, the chocolate
lab,
returns with the first
whistler. In what
could only be com-
pared to the cheer of
a game-winning
touchdown pass is
what followed, as the
sun glistened off of
the band hanging on
the side of Cami’s
face! As the three of
us celebrated, with
our “band dance”,
Cami was back in ac-
tion for the second
retrieve. Upon her
return was when our
hearts nearly
stopped, when we
spotted the second,
yes second, band
coming into the
blind! It
was at this point that
we nearly retrieved
the 3rd bird our-
selves, but somehow
we managed to let
Cami do her thing,
and she delivered, talking, winning the lottery odds,
with the 3rd banded bird! What and that is kind of how we felt that
are the odds of killing 3 banded day!
birds out of one flight? We had no I would say that this is a story I
idea, but we had just done it! After will tell my son for years, but I was
more dancing and several phone fortunate enough to have him
calls, we thought surely these birds there to live it with me! To know
had to be caught, banded, and that he will have this tale to pass on
released in the same spot on the to his own son one day is amazing,
same day. Once returning back to and we have the jewels to prove it!
the camp and celebrating, with the So it turned out that the band of
newest member of the family, our brothers were not the three ducks
friend’s three month old son, we we killed that day, but the three
sat down and entered in the band guys that were squeezing
numbers. Not only were the birds the triggers!
not banded together on the same
day, they were not even banded in #Bands will make you dance
the same year. All three were #Bling-Bling
banded in Vermillion parish on #Brothers for Life
April 9th 2015, March 29th 2016,
and April 16th 2017. Now we are

32
 with Kellie
Useless Random Facts
The oldest known goldfish lived to 41 years of age.
Its name was Fred.
•
1,200 college students streaked at the same t
ime in Boulder, CO in 1974.
•
Research indicates that mosquitoes are attracted to people
who have recently eaten bananas.
•
The most extras ever used in a movie was 300,000,
for the film Gandhi in 1981.
•
When Bugs Bunny first appeared in 1935,
he was called Happy Rabbit.
•
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Even if you cut off a cockroach's head, it can
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per side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.
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with anything wider than your thumb.
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Thoughts from Bully
Alright Guys,
Lets Let it Rip.
Except You
Frankie?
Another year has come and
gone when 32 golfers headed
for a 4 day golf vacation and
food feast.
This was the second year for
me to be invited to the Pete and
Peg annual golf excursion. This
year we had perfect weather and
most of the golfers were on
there best behavior.
Kelly Plantation is located in
Destin, Florida and have been
perfect hosts for our Motley
crew. Head P.G.A Golf Pro,
Ashton Crowe welcomed us
with open arms and this year
had all 32 members of our
group sign a Kelly Plantation
flag. He hung it next to the
flags of the professionals
that have played there and next
to the Fred Couples painting,
of the gender of a pending birth snack available that he has even
in the family.
You know a trip like this a
put cheese and jelly together for
a sandwich. Yikes!
person learns many things about I learned there was a rivalry
their friends. I learned Sam has among parish bailiff’s. Seems
to have a sweet dessert before one wanted a photo with he
bed time. He confess if there is
not a standard dessert type
sheriff. The other accused the
other of sucking up. Then when
it came time to take a photo
Take that Malcolm!
the designer of this 18 holes of
hope and fear.
I met my riding partners on
Wednesday morning at 5:30am.
We began our golf trip watching
the sun come up. After a few
miles Sam told us about a party
he had to attend the day before
our trip. he said, “I went to a
gender party yesterday.” I’m
thinking a gender party? My
mind went places I wasn’t ready
for. I knew I was bunking with
some swingers of the golf club
but that was my limit. I soon
learned it is a new thing in
34
parties and is an announcement
with the sheriff bailiff one said,
“No need to wait. Take the
photo.” Bailiff two mentioned
writing up bailiff one but bailiff
one has seniority. Actually I
heard this 2nd and 3rd hand
from gossip so I don’t really
know the story but I reported it
anyway. The major networks do
it, so I did it too.
responded, “I purchased irons
that were not shankable.
Anyone want to buy a new set
of irons? They had been used
for only one round of golf.
It was rumored that Cub said
he wasn’t worried about Pete.
Matter-of-fact he communicated
he was cutting Pete next year.
I learn something new each
time I am on this trip. This trip
It was reported that Frankie
hit a ball so far off the course he
hollered fore! One of his
partners mentioned you need to
go knock on the door on the
3rd floor of that condo complex
and holler in the door for
anyone to hear you.
Mike Wag walked up with a
new set of irons and was looking
for the cart with a golf bag with
only woods in the bag. When
asked what’s the deal he
I confirmed it takes 10 minutes
for 6 golfers to consume a full
pack of lemon cookies. I learned
that 50 lbs. of cracklin fat makes
15 gallon zip lock bags full and
takes 3 days for 32 golfers to
crunch and munch all of them.
I mentioned that I might give
Hubbie a new Ascension
Magazine golf shirt so I asked
what is his favorite color?
Someone spoke up and said
cornbread. I didn’t know that
was a color. They
continued,”Hubbie loves
35
anything that looks like
cornbread so I should get him
a cornbread colored shirt.
I learned that Peg can get
Malcolm to leave by playing
Sioux City Sue on his blue
tooth speaker and is now tech
savvy enough to stream ACHS
baseball games while they are in
the state playoffs.
I learned playing golf with
Mike Lee is lots of fun and he
cared less if my shirt tail was
pulled out.
Let it be known that some of
the photos in the article are a
tribute our nations national
media and these photos are
completely fake news. There is
no way Doyle, who did a
fantastic job cooking for us,
would let David or Jeff be in
charge of cooking our meals.
Those photos are staged and
not meant to mis-lead. By the
way, David did not crack under
questioning on the practice tee
about who took the left over
shrimp stew. It remained a
mystery but the stew stealer did
clean the pot and left it behind.
I learned that my golfing
buddies were really appreciative
when their wives sent them a
sweet hugs imogi in the
morning and other husbands
were wishing their wives were
sending sweet hugs imogi’s in
the morning. So ladies get your
phones out. I also heard sheriff
had trick golf shots that he tried
in a sand trap. However this
shot richochet’d off of the step
an flew backwards in the water.
Good try Sheriff.
I learned not get my hopes up
when playing with people
you’ve never played with before.
I hadn’t hit my first tee shot yet
when I was told to get my skirt
if I was hitting from the number
3 tees. Fortunately I had the
perfect comeback. During my
first round on the trip I played
with Hubbie who was also my
team opponent that we would
pay at the end of the trip. He
told me he was playing the 3
tees all 4 days so I should do the
same. So to the skirt commen-
tor I explained Hubbie told me
to hit from here and what
Hubbie says goes. Hubbie rules
and you can that to the bank.
I learned that 4 days of golf
back to back to back to back
will make my back out wack.
The highlight of the trip was
winning $5 from Boozie in a
bet that shouldn’t have
happened. I wasn’t sure he was
going to pay me but gave it to
Dane to give to me. Once I
received it I felt a little bad and
didn’t want to keep it. I said to
myself WWCD. What would
Cliff do? So I donated to the
campaign to Re-Elect Donald
Trump and Make America
Greater.
Acadian Ambulance Johnny Berthelot
Ascension Golf Cart Joie De Vie Beauty Salon
Ascension Paper Kevin’s Cajun Seafood
Ascension Parish Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Local Musicians
Aces Manny’s Bar
Backstreet Lounge Marlin’s Pizza
Bayou Bar Mary Lee Donuts Hwy 44
Bo’s Propeller Mert Smiley
Brian’s Supermarket Moonlight Inn
Cajun Daiquiri Murry’s Market
Campers to Go Popeye’s
Clay Schexnayder Port Vincent Dist 4 Fire Dept.
Corner Bar Red Barn Bar
Cottage Inn Roys Ice
Delaunes Supermarket Saritas
Eatel St. Amant Pharmacy
Fred’s Amusement State Farm David Wilcox
Fred’s on the River Swamp Chicken
Furniture & Mattress Depot Sysco
Galvez Hardware Tags & Titles LLC
Galvez Lake Fire Dept. The Old Beer Box
Gonzales Boat Club Tureau’s Grocery
Gonzales Furniture The Hangout
Greg Gibbs/Bunny Bread Templet & Templet Welding
Hill Top Triple S
Hole n Wall Seafood Whiskey River
Jambalaya Association

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TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

42
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME

43
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
 Ingredients:
Cooking Gourmet at Home
with SNO’S SEAFOOD & STEAKS
8 ounces fresh Jumbo Lump crabmeat
1 small loaf French bread
1 Granny Smith apple
A lite and fresh dish for the summer 4 ounces Smoked Gouda (whatever cheese you like)
8 cherry tomatoes
1 ounce fresh basil
2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:

First thing you want to do is get those toast points cooked. Set your oven on
375 and allow it to preheat. Take your French bread and cut it into ½ inch slices then lay them out on a
sheet pan/cookie sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool and get nice and crispy.

Next, grab your crabmeat and put it into a small mixing bowl. Drizzle the crabmeat with a little olive oil, the
juice of the lemon (no seeds), and salt & pepper to taste.

Crab & Apple Bruschetta Now get your cheese. Here we are using Smoked Gouda, but you can use any of your favorite cheeses. Shred
the cheese and set aside until it’s time to use.
Take out your cherry tomatoes and cut them in ½ and add them to the bowl of crabmeat

Thinly slice the basil leaves

Yield: 10-15 servings
The last ingredient to prepare is the apple. Remove the core of the apple either with an apple corer or simply
by cutting off each side of the apple. Cut the apple into small cubes and put them into the small mixing bowl
Prep: 15 minutes with the crabmeat and tomatoes, then drizzle with the juice of the last lemon (no seeds). This will keep the
apple from t
urning brown.
Executive Chef
Cook: 10 minutes
Ben Jarreau LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!!!
Serving: 4 Lay out your crispy French bread toast points and top them with the crabmeat, tomato, and apple mixture.
Sprinkle the shredded Smoked Gouda over the top then finish them off with the fresh basil.

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