I have noticed a lot of trends recently in the wine & spirits industry.  One trend is how cocktails are making a big comeback.  With our economy at a slowed state, many are looking for different libations.  Looking for a difference in flavor, difference in price and a difference in style.  Wine has been the hip and status choice for the public that was enjoying economic freedom.  Now, for some, the game has changed.  Everyone knows that wine can be expensive.  Everyday wines which are around ten dollars or less can add up, whereas a bottle of your favorite spirit can last weeks at lower cost.  With increased consumption comes the search and demand for better ingredients.  On their own, or used as a mixer, interesting liqueurs can be the difference in what people are looking for.

A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar.  The word liqueur comes from the Latin liquifacere (“to liquefy”).

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Normally this column deals with hunting, but this month there is an issue that crosses over to hunting known as “bow fishing.” Bow fishing, simply put, is shooting a fish with an arrow propelled from a bow.  A line attaching the arrow to the bow allows for retrieval. It is really more like hunting than fishing, but those who participate in it are required by law to have a fishing license, not  a hunting or archery license like bow hunters who hunt deer. It requires stealth and shooting skills. What began as a survival skill has evolved into a sport, one which is primarily done at night since it is more conducive to seeing the fish. Bow fishing is as old as primitive man, but there is a movement afoot to end it.

You see, Louisiana Senator Dan Claitor has authored Senate Bill 573 that would eliminate the taking of red drum with bow and arrow. It's nothing new. There was a similar attempt a few years back that failed to become law. This bill is slightly different in that its only rationalization is that...

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Growing up in New Orleans, the only breads I ever ate were French bread and Bunny Bread (white, of course!). Was there really a need for anything else? However, as the bread world and I matured, new and exciting varieties of breads such as whole wheat, multi grain and even pita breads, were being introduced into the mainstream market. I developed a new love and respect for these breads, but I still had yet to meet one of my favorite doughy treats.

It was not until I started working in New York City did I begin to understand the allure and, oftentimes, the addictive power of a good bagel. On my way to work, it was my morning ritual to get off the subway, walk to my favorite corner breakfast shop and order an “everything” bagel with a schmear (a light spread of cream cheese) and a regular coffee (coffee with a little sugar and a little cream). What was it about these round pastries that would become such an integral part of my life that I would find myself bringing dozens of them home to family and friends...

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                With a legislative session poised to begin on March 29, state lawmakers are grappling with a difficult budget situation. The financial picture is so bleak that the Civil Service Commission has recommended that annual pay raises be suspended for 60,000 state employees beginning July 1. Long gone are the days post-Katrina when federal money was pouring into the state. Almost five years after the hurricane, the level of federal funds being allocated for Louisiana has declined sharply. In addition, Louisiana tax revenue has been falling. For example, in the month of February, “both income and sales taxes did not meet expectations,” according to LSU economist James Richardson. This situation has created a mid-year budget deficit that could reach $400 million. Several months ago, the Jindal administration made painful budget cuts of almost $250 million, which severely impacted higher education and healthcare services. The need for additional budget cuts should provide legislative support for the work...

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If you’ve lived or worked on the northshore for more than about 10 minutes, you’ve probably discerned the one constant: growth – and we’re not talking about the grass. 

Immediately after that nasty hurricane nigh onto five years ago, it seemed St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes were the place to be.  The ONLY place to be.  In the whole wide world.  Everybody – yes, EVERYBODY – was here.  The surge in population brought a surge in tax revenue and retail sales, but it also brought growth even more accelerated than the most clairvoyant of demographers and planners had predicted.  “Exponential” became the number-one descriptor, replacing “steady” as the word of choice to pair with “growth.”

Boomtown we were, and boomtown we are.

In the months that followed, as many folks repaired or rebuilt their southshore abodes and drifted back towards the now-medium-sized city on the Mississippi River, things settled down just a tad.  The housing market, flooded with spec homes during the diaspora, faltered,...

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          I was asked a few weeks back if I knew of any larger-than-life female figures of bygone eras who played a major role in the history of the local area.  An organization was looking for such a person to serve as an icon for a planned recognition and awards program.  Let me go on record as saying that despite rumors spread by my ageist critics, I didn’t personally know, or date, any women during the early years of Mandeville.  However, a possible candidate did come to mind fairly quickly.  And, I’ll get to that name in a minute, following my traditional random, nonlinear reasoning and writing process. 

          It’s not an easy question however.  It’s certainly not difficult today to come up with countless names of women who have made great contributions in government, science, business, and every other facet of national and community life.   Our parish and municipalities have many female officials in high positions, and many of our local businesses have women in charge.  It also seems like almost...

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After a long, cold, quite dreary winter, spring has FINALLY sprung here on the northshore.  Azaleas are blooming, the sun is shining and it’s time to get out of the house and enjoy this beautiful weather!  There’s a long list of outdoor festivals and activities planned for the month of April.  Here are a few of my favorite picks.

The City of Covington is bringing back the popular live music series “Rockin’ the Rails”.  I enjoyed these free outdoor concerts so much back in the fall; I’m glad to see them return.  Held at the Covington Trailhead, the intent is to lure people into downtown Covington on a weeknight for a fabulous free show of live music, and then hopefully entice them to stay for a nice dinner at one of Covington’s great restaurants.  Nice concept.  And it works!  That’s exactly what I did during the fall and I’m looking forward to repeating that every Thursday in April.  The music is exceptionally good.  There are a few northshore favorites included in the line-up, but also some southshore...

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        Some unknown sage said this: "If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it." 

         Whoever said this could well have been thinking of the annual Art, Heart & Stroll Festival on April 24 in Historic Old Mandeville sponsored by the Old Mandeville Business Association. 

         There will be plenty of fun and enlightenment for the inquiring mind to conceive on that day with some of our area's best artists displaying their talent in front of businesses along Girod Street. Not only can the senses be exalted by this beautiful art, but much of it can be purchased by discriminating visitors and taken home. 

         There is more: at 4 pm those with believing hearts will be competing for honors and prizes when a 4-mile run starts at Varsity Sports on Claiborne Street and winds through Historic Old Mandeville ending up back at Varsity for the awarding of prizes and gifts to all participants. 

         Ryan Green, managing partner of Varsity, is in charge of the race and there is still time to register to run in it by dropping by the exciting sporting goods store in the heart of Historic Old Mandeville. But runners beware: the pre-registration at a $20 fee ends on April 16th and that fee includes a commemorative champagne flute for the last event of the day. 

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               A new state-of-the-art indoor sports arena is set to open for business on June 1st in the Northpointe Business Park at the intersection of highways 1077 and 1085. Playmakers Indoor Sports, LLC will operate the facility which is being constructed by Voelkel McWilliams for the developers, Indoor Sports, LLC. 

The facility will boast a 175 x 80 foot field outfitted with boards and glass, similar to a hockey arena, and premium artificial turf as the playing surface, along with a 45 x 90 foot turf-covered mezzanine for additional play. Primary offerings will be adult and youth leagues for soccer, lacrosse and flag football as well as team play in “Reball” – an indoor version of paintball. Other offerings will include clinics, private coaching, camps and sports-themed parties.  

Playmakers will bring to reality a vision conceived by their principals and St. Tammany residents Ryan Enk, Todd Giustiniano and Rick Honsberger, nearly three years ago. Enk is the local franchisee and operator...

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Business and conservation partner to restore a key part of the Talisheek Pine Wetlands  Complex 

The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana and Ecosystem Investment Partners announced today the permanent protection and restoration of 2,263 acres of wet longleaf pine savanna and associated habitats, which comprise one of the country’s most threatened ecosystems.  Less than 5% of the original savanna habitat remains in Louisiana today, having once dominated the Gulf Coastal Plain and covered more than 2 million acres in Louisiana alone.   

“This property is one of the largest restorable wet longleaf pine savannas in the region,” said Latimore Smith, Director of Science and Stewardship for Louisiana office of The Nature Conservancy.  “It represents a rare chance to turn back the ecological...

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            “Shoot low boys-they’re riding Shetland ponies.”  This satirical retort authored by now-deceased columnist Lewis Grizzard, seems to be good advice as we prepared for a series of political “cat-fights,” the likes of which we’ve never seen!  The end result will be a budget crisis at all levels of government that trickles down from federal to state levels, eventually saddling local citizens with the brunt of the tax consequences.  Seeking solutions at state and federal level will prove mostly fruitless.  Tax payers must lower their sights and focus on local solutions. 

Now is the time to see if our elected officials in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish are prepared to step up the pace and lead, or will they collectively sulk about in denial, displaying zero political courage while our local communities circle the drain. 

The preliminary bouts have begun with opening volleys fired.  State legislatures have already come to blows on leadership and committee assignments to determine who will...

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If you ask St. Tammany Parish residents what their top concerns are for the parish, you’re likely to hear uncontrolled growth, traffic, and drainage. When Scott Chotin asked the League to spearhead the Citizens Agenda Project in 1998, we heard it time after time. These same concerns are expressed at every Zoning, Planning, and Council meeting. And now you’re telling me we’re the “Growth Parish” for the 21st Century? It had better not be a replay of the past forty years! St. Tammany Parish’s population in 1970 was approximately 63,585; the Louisiana State Census Data Center projects our 2010 population at 246,910; and in 2030, we’re projected to have 459,160 people living here. Many demographers think that St. Tammany is poised to become the largest parish in the state. 

These projections are based on demographics, geography, and hard work. St. Tammany is BIG: 854 square miles of land and 270 square miles of water; higher land elevations; and much of our land is located north of I-12. According to recent...

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You haven’t been able to escape it.  People are talking about it incessantly.  It’s in the news every single day.  That’s right:  healthcare reform.  

Perhaps you don’t think it affects you.  After all, you have insurance right?  Or maybe you’re retired and on Medicare.   All that healthcare reform talk is about the uninsured and their need for access to affordable, preventive healthcare, right?  Think again.  The current system is putting significant pressure on many physicians that specialize in areas like neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery and unless these issues are tackled by healthcare reform, you may find your access to these services restricted, whether or not you have insurance. 

Take Dr. Gustavo Gutnisky as an example.  You would be hard-pressed to find a more experienced or personable doctor.  He is a neurosurgeon, practicing in St. Tammany parish for 27 years.  When you talk to him you can tell right away that his patients are his first priority.  He has put in his time tending to trauma victims on nights, weekends, and holidays in the parish’s emergency rooms.    He has done his share of complex brain surgeries.   “I think you have to give something back to the community,” said Gutnisky.  But doctors like him could become a thing of the past and here’s why: 

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Despite the children’s rhyme to the contrary, words do harm, particularly in the political arena.  Here, words need not have substance behind them to do enormous and sometimes irreparable harm.  This is particularly true when their delivery is timed to make rebuttal difficult, if not impossible. 

Negative campaigning, also known as gutter politics, has typically been defined as the use of ad hominem attacks and/or relevant but untrue negative publicity to discredit one’s opponent, thereby edifying oneself.  In most cases, negative comments about one’s opponent are made in lieu of positive comments about oneself, or as a last desperate measure to influence undecided voters.  Voters are asked to vote against one’s opponent instead of for oneself.   Although long a staple of the political scene, there is much disagreement about whether such campaigning is effective.  In Louisiana, however, a law enacted in 2008 has made much of it illegal.   

Much of civil society publicly decries the “politics of...

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Northshore residents apparently have a new vacation destination: the backyard.

 “More people are focusing on lifestyle improvements so they can vacation in their backyard for a long time to come,” said Paul Gagliano, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Louisiana Landscape Specialty, Inc. in Covington. 

Landscape architects on the northshore report that the past two years have been some of the slowest they’ve seen.  “Most people have been keeping their wallet in their pocket.  It’s a trickle-down effect from the northshore real estate market bust. Everyone’s been hunkering down and not spending money,” said Gagliano.  

This year though, spring brought new signs of life in the residential landscape market along with the usual flowers.  Local landscapers say the number of phone calls is up tremendously over the past two spring seasons and attendance at the recent New Orleans Home and Garden Show was high.  

“We expect residential projects to be the lead out of this...

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In Slidell, we observed a very contentious election between the two top vote getters for Chief of Police and in Mandeville; the mayoral race has come down to a photo finish and a recount of the votes. It brought back memories and similarities of the 2000 presidential election with “swift-boating” and “hanging chads”. 

Slidell Chief of Police 

Candidates for Slidell Chief of Police has now pitted political newcomer Randy Smith, who garnered 48% of the vote in the general election while former Slidell Police Chief and current Mayor Ben Morris pulled in 41% of the vote. The two candidates are now pitted once again for the May 1st run-off election. J.J. Jennings and Jason Zar garnered 10% and 1% of the vote respectively. 

The City of Slidell is the only municipality on the northshore that elects a chief of police. With exactly 48.7% of the vote on election night, Randy Smith said, “The strategy we have at this point is to get the voters back to the polls. That’s the key and we can’t say we have...

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                 With the announcement that the federal government will require a 90-percent improvement in fuel efficiency by 2050, one could almost hear the collective sigh of economists thinking, “Well, as if they don’t have it bad enough….”  Thing is, you could place every economist in the world end-to-end and they won’t reach a conclusion.  And car dealers hereabouts say things are looking pretty good.

                  “Business last month was great,” said Mark Campbell, general sales manager at Bill Hood Ford in Hammond.  “We’re up about 25 percent year-over-year.”   “Business is very good,” said Adam Bowen, general manager of Rainbow Suzuki Imports in Covington.  “Business is picking up” said Kenny Bothner, general sales manager of Eddie Tourelle’s Northpark Nissan and Hyundai, also near Covington.  “We have taken the turn for the better.  From last year at this time to now is just incredible.  We’ve seen the turn in the last three months.”  Not bad for an industry that a year ago was on the serious...

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  April is EXPO and membership month at the St. Tammany West Chamber.    

It’s an era of winning, strengthening communities and building new relationships. 

This is the theme the members of our board, committee chairs and staff of our Chamber are carrying out this spring through our committees’ work, events and programs.  We are building on a strong foundation established in the past decade, and for decades before that when our 1,000 member strong organization roots were established. 

A membership drive is currently underway. Over 60 current members gathered at an event hosted at and sponsored by Mark and Donna Benfatti of N’Tini’s in Mandeville for a kickoff to gather applications and specifics about the benefits of membership.  Several team captains, led by Mike Dugger of Runners Choice & City Soccer and Nancy Lee of Ron Lee Homes, will lead small groups of volunteers who understand why a strong Chamber is important in this growing parish and how businesses can benefit.  

Team captains are as follows: 

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              The Hammond Chamber hosted its 2nd Annual Legislative Hobnob and it was a great success.  We invited neighboring chambers and organizations in Tangipahoa parish to participate and gave them a chance to present their priorities to the northshore delegation.  This event is just one of the many ways we try to get everyone in Tangipahoa parish involved and it also gives us a great opportunity to let our northshore delegation know what’s important to us and what we would like them to concentrate their efforts on in the 2010 Legislative Session.  



We all know that these are challenging times and depending upon who you ask – we have a depression/recession in full swing and more state budget cuts are looming on the horizon.  Not in spite of, but rather, because of those factors, there was a need for the Hammond Chamber to continue and enhance its presence in the legislative arena.  We challenged the Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Erin Cowser, to become more engaged and work toward...

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The City of Slidell elected a new mayor, congratulations Freddy Drennan and filled two out of three city council seats – Sam Abney, District “B” and Jay Newcomb, District “F” on March 27th.  The Police Chief and City Council District “C” remain open in a run-off.  Although the Chamber does not endorse candidates, the board feels it is important to provide information to our members and the community to allow the citizens of Slidell to make smart decisions in electing our government.

           The Public Policy Committee is active in creating awareness to the membership.  All candidates, even the non-opposed, were invited to the chamber for personal twenty minute interviews of the same 5 to 6 questions.  Additional questions were also presented for written responses and answered by the candidates.  For complete responses, please visit our website at www.estchamber.com.

            All four of the run-off candidates participated in the Public Policy Interview...

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