August - Kenner Star

Transcription

VOL. 17, NO. 8
KENNER’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1991
AUGUST 2008
Macy’s planning big October opening at The Esplanade mall
By ALLAN KATZ
Executives at Macy’s say all signals are go for a major
opening of their completely re-built 188,000 square foot
store at The Esplanade mall.
Macy’s goal is an October opening but an exact date
has not yet been released. A recent visit to the Macy’s
site found nearly 100 workers pushing hard to make the
October deadline.
Elizabeth Johnson-Cuthrell, general manager of
Macy’s at The Esplanade, said that hiring for 150 permanent positions has already begun at three Macy’s
human resources sites in Kenner and Metairie.
Mayor Ed Muniz said he is very pleased by Macy’s
progress and regards the opening of the store as a sure
indicator that, three years after Hurricane Katrina, the
Kenner economy is about to start growing significantly.
“We are delighted by the addition of 150 permanent
jobs to our economy and we are pleased that there will
soon be a steady flow of sales tax revenue from a great
Macy’s store that will attract customers from throughout
the metro New Orleans region,” said Mayor Muniz. “But
what pleases me the most is that I believe this Macy’s
store will be highly successful and a catalyst for other
retailers to open stores in Kenner.”
Johnson-Cuthrell, who said she is looking forward to
opening day more than anyone else, added, “We are so
excited to be re-opening Macy’s at The Esplanade. The
store was stripped to its bare shell and then totally rebuilt, incorporating the latest design concepts showcasing shopping at its best.” She said that the new Macy’s,
known for affordable luxury shopping, will feature the
continued on page 25
ERIC MILLER
City’s bio time clock as futuristic as “Star Wars”
By ALLAN KATZ
For generations, Americans have punched cards in
clocks at their places of employment so that supervisors
could keep track of the hours they worked. But, now,
the city of Kenner has opted for a new computerized
system that recognizes each employee’s finger prints
and uses those prints as a basis for tallying the hours
worked.
Before a city of Kenner employee signs in, they first
place a finger on a scanning device that is part of a computerized screen. The employee then types in their
employee number, which must match their fingerprint
or the computer refuses to accept the entry.
“The bio time clock is simply a computer-based software collection system that captures employee time and
attendance,” said Annamaria Pizzolato, Kenner’s internal auditor who joined with Danna Morris, Kenner’s
Information Technology Director, to install the new
continued on page 9
BARRY SPRAGUE
City employee Dana Fink has her finger scanned by Kenner's
new bio time clock.
Mackie Shilstone opens a new kind of fitness center at East Jefferson Hospital
By ALLAN KATZ
For more than 30 years, Mackie Shilstone of New
Orleans has been the gold standard for optimum personal fitness. His clients have included boxing
champs, Super Bowl champs, World Series champs,
National Basketball Association champs, thousands
of celebrities and tens of thousands of ordinary folks.
Now, with the support and full backing of East
Jefferson General Hospital, Shilstone has opened a
new facility called The Fitness Principle located on
the fourth floor at 3601 Houma
Boulevard in Metairie.
“Everything that I’ve learned in
more than 30 years in the fitness
business is wrapped up in The
Fitness Principle,” said Shilstone.
“The most important thing I’ve
learned is that losing weight is only
the first step in becoming fit. If all
continued on page 27 Mackie Shilstone
Natalie Hall named clerk of Kenner Council
By ALLAN KATZ
Natalie Hall has been named clerk of the Kenner City
Council. She previously served as executive assistant to
Mayor Ed Muniz. Hall succeeds Michelle Sheeren who
served as clerk of the City Council for 17 years and is
retiring.
With the appointment, Hall holds the same position as
her mother, Gwen Boynton, who retired in 1991 and was
succeeded by Sheeren.
“I always hoped that my last position in Kenner city
government would be the same position that my mother
held,” said Hall. “At the same time, there’s a little bit of
a bittersweet feeling because I loved working with
Mayor Muniz and the staff in the executive office. We
have been a great team. With all due respect to the previous Kenner mayors that I’ve worked for, Mayor Muniz
is just a great executive.”
Kenner voters to consider
judicial races in October
Kenner voters will head to the polls on October 4, to
elect a new Louisiana Supreme Court justice as well as
district court judge for Division “I” of the TwentyFourth Judicial District Court.
The impending retirement of Louisiana Supreme
Court Justice Pascal Calogero created an opening in the
state’s highest court, with candidates lining up on both
sides of the lake to fill the 1st Supreme Court District
seat which includes portions of Jefferson, Orleans and
St. Tammany parishes. Candidates in the race are
Democrat Roland Belsome and Republicans Greg
Guidry and “Jimmy” Kuhn.
Candidates for Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court,
Division “I,” all Republicans, are Norma Broussard,
Kurt Garcia and Nancy Miller. The vacancy in Division
“I,” one of two Kenner judicial districts, was created by
the retirement of current Judge Jo Ellen Grant.
Former State Representative Glenn Ansardi was
elected unopposed to fill the vacancy in Division “K,”
Kenner’s other judicial district, created by the upcoming retirement of Judge Kernan “Skip” Hand.
Runoffs for the October 4 races, if necessary, will be
held on November 4.★
Kenner
Parks and
Recreation
& Leisure
Service
Fall 2008
8 page
section
inside.
FALL FUN 2008
Kenner Parks &
Recreation
GAME ON!
K-TV CHANNEL 76
KENNER PARKS AND RECREATION
SHOW FEATURING HIGHLIGHTS OF
ATHLETIC AND LEISURE SERVICE
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS OF
INTREST TO THE COMMUNITY.
GO TO KTV76.COM FOR SHOW DAYS AND TIMES
*
REGISTRATION FOR LEISURE SERVICE PROGRAMS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PROGRAMS MARKED WITH AN
(DANCE, GYMNASTICS, CERAMICS AND TENNIS LEAGUES – REGISTRATION DATES ARE LISTED INSIDE)
WILL BEGIN MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008 FROM 9:15 AM TO 7:00 PM FOR KENNER RESIDENTS AT
THE LEISURE SERVICE OFFICE LOCATED AT 2508 20TH STREET.
NON-KENNER RESIDENTS MAY BEGIN TO REGISTER ON MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008 FROM NOON TO 7:00 PM.
AFTER AUGUST 18, 2008 REGISTRATION IS TAKEN MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 9:15 AM TO 5:45 PM.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE LEISURE SERVICE OFFICE AT 468-7268 OR 468-7284
OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.KENNER.LA.US/RECREATION.HTML.
L E I S U R E S E R V I C E D I V I S I O N - 4 6 8 - 7 2 6 8
A T H L E T I C D I V I S I O N - 4 6 8 - 7 2 1 1
2
AUGUST 2008 KENNER ST★R
Receive FREE SLOT DOLLARS
when you purchase* a buffet
every Tuesday in August.
Lunch Purchase – Receive $5 Free Slot Dollars
Dinner Purchase – Receive $10 Free Slot Dollars
*Valid on cash purchases only.
Present your buffet receipt to the B Connected club to receive your free slot dollars.
Must be 21 years or older and a B Connected member to participate. Offer is non-transferable. Maximum of one offer per person per day. Other restrictions may apply.
For every friend you sign up
for the B Connected club,
you’ll earn the same first-day
bonus points they do.
Offer valid for first time new member signups only. Must be 21 years or older and a B Connected member to participate.
Limit of 5 friends per day. Other restrictions may apply.
bconnectedonline.com
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-877-770-STOP (7867)
KENNER ST★R AUGUST 2008
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3
4
“I didn’t
believe the
doctor when
he said I had
leukemia.”
Kevin Wild, Jr.
CANCER FIGHTER
In the spring, he was to begin his college
pitching career. Instead, he would begin
the grueling process of battling cancer.
He would lose his hair and nearly 50
pounds but never lose hope or the
support of his family. Kevin and his family
were thrilled to learn that East Jefferson
General Hospital had become an affiliate
of M. D. Anderson Physicians Network®.
Through affiliation, EJGH would have
access to the latest treatment protocols
and videoconferencing sessions that
allow EJGH doctors to confer with
M. D. Anderson physicians on specific
cases, like Kevin’s. Together, EJGH and
M. D. Anderson Physicians Network®
are offering new hope in our region.
Because no one fights cancer alone.
Call 504-456-5000 or visit us online for
credentialed physicians and more infomation.
www.ejgh.org/cancercare
Affiliated with
East Jefferson General Hospital
Because noone fights cancer alone.
5
★
From the Editor
Good news! Macy’s is coming back with plans for a gala in October
By ALLAN KATZ
I think that the
re-opening
of
Macy’s at The
Esplanade
mall
will mark the end of the Katrina era in
Kenner. Obviously, we will all continue to
have our Katrina stories and Katrina
tragedies to remember, but cutting the big
ribbon to mark the re-opening of Macy’s
will for many mark the moment when
Katrina is the past and our focus finally will
be on the future.
Technically, the new Macy’s store will be
88,000 square feet, will include a staff of
150 permanent jobs and will be a retail
anchor that should demonstrate Kenner’s
power as a center of retailing in the
Metairie, Kenner and the river parishes
marketplace.
But I think the symbolism of Macy’s
return is even more important than the
numbers.
There was a time for more than a year
after Hurricane Katrina when it wasn’t certain that Macy’s was coming back at all.
Almost from the moment that he took his
oath of office, Mayor Ed Muniz was all
over Macy’s executive staff like gravy on
rice. He called them incessantly, flattered
them, encouraged them and pestered them.
But, Muniz had to say, “They haven’t said
they won’t re-open. But they also haven’t
said that they will re-open. I’m encouraged
but we haven’t gotten the word that the deal
is done.”
Mayor Muniz says the day when the
Macy’s team called to say that the deal was
indeed done and they were returning to
Kenner and The Esplanade mall was one of
the better days of his life. In his view, while
the sales tax dollars that Macy’s will pump
into Kenner’s coffers are indeed welcome,
the even greater value of having a big
Macy’s store is the impact it has on others
in the retail business. “We need that Macy’s
anchor,” says the mayor. “When we talk to
other retailers about coming to Kenner, the
Macy’s anchor is part of our pitch. The fact
that we have a big Macy’s store gives us
credibility. And, hopefully, now that
they’re about to re-open, their presence will
be a catalyst for some other big retailers to
decide they also ought to be in Kenner.”
I’m certainly not saying that Muniz’s
sales job is the sole reason that Macy’s is
back in Kenner, but I’m sure it didn’t hurt
either.
For their part, the Macy’s team is very
enthusiastic about their return to The
Esplanade mall. Elizabeth JohnsonCuthrell, who will serve as general manager of the new Kenner store, says she loves
the way the store was stripped to the bare
bricks and mortar, then re-built using the
latest Macy’s store design concepts. Ed
Smith, Macy’s regional vice president for
public relations, special events and community affairs, says the store’s marketing
experts consider The Esplanade mall as one
of the nation’s best suburban retail centers.
I believe the return of Macy’s ends a
post-hurricane period when some doubted
that the Kenner economy could return to
and then surpass the city’s pre-Katrina
economy. I believe that the confidence that
Macy’s respected retail experts have in the
Kenner marketplace is a signal to the world
that they believe Kenner’s best days are
ahead of us.
Looking back for just a moment, one of
my favorite stories immediately after
Katrina came when Kenner Information
Technology Director Danna Morris and her
husband returned to their home right after
the storm. There was water on the first
floor. The carpet and furniture were ruined.
They were understandably feeling desolate
and their heads were down.
Then, at that moment, through the open
front door, in strolled two kittens – survivors of the storm – looking for a little
food, water and love. The Morris’ took the
arrival of the kittens as a sign from God
that there would be life after Katrina, that
the damage could be repaired and that love
would survive.
In much the same way, I regard the
rebuilding of Macy’s and their gala opening sometime in October as a sign that three
years of rebuilding in Kenner is now just
about completed and the future is going to
be brighter than might have seemed possible in September 2005. There are certainly
plenty of problems still to be tackled and
others that will arise, but the return of
Macy’s is a good, strong sign that Kenner’s
recovery is rolling along, with the best still
to come.★
★
Political Review
Will Louisiana voters re-elect a corrupt Congressman?
August 2 00 8
Vo l . 17 No . 8
Kenner Star is a monthly newspaper and is distributed by
direct mail free to all 20,700 registered voter households
in Kenner. An additional 2,000 copies are
distributed in over 100 high traffic locations.
Publisher
TROY BROUSSARD
Editor
ALLAN KATZ
Managing Editor/Marketing Director
CANDY LOVITT
Staff Writer/Editor
TROY BROUSSARD
Contributing Writers
JEFF CROUERE
GLENN DOTTOLO
JIM MELCHERS
LINDA R. MARTIN
LYNNE DIMM
KEN TRAHAN
SHARON SOLOMON
DAN DORMADY
ED CLANCY
SEAN HUNTER
SCOTT ZIMMERMAN
RAFAEL E. SADDY
JOEY CLEVELAND
SMITA PATEL
THOMAS R. LYONS
KEITH M. DARCEY
STEVE CARAWAY
RON HAMPTON
CRAIG GOODWIN
YVETTE DUSSOUY
ED MUNIZ
KEN MARROCCOLI
PAOLO ZAMBITO
Copy Editors
MELISSA DRAKE
MONICA ZERINGUE
Account Manager
BARBARA BELLACI
Distribution Manager
DAVID SPAKO
Printing
BATON ROUGE PRESS © 2008 Kenner Star, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
KENNER STAR
P.O. Box 641654 • Kenner, LA 70064
Phone & Fax 468-9125
Email: [email protected]
The content of all theme-based columns,
written by respective professionals in this newspaper,
is in no way intended to render advice, suggest a
course of action, or take the place of an individual
consultation regarding that subject matter.
By JEFF CROUERE
Now that qualifying is over, the
2008
election
season has officially begun in Louisiana. Among the
most high profile races will be the
contest for the 2nd Congressional
District. This seat has been occupied
by U.S. Congressman Bill Jefferson
(D-New Orleans) for 18 years.
This race marks the best chance
challengers will have to unseat
Jefferson in his long congressional
career. The incumbent is facing a 16count indictment and a trial which is
set for December. He has had tremendous difficulty raising funds, has been
stripped of committee assignments and
was recently ranked as one of the most
ineffective members of Congress.
Jefferson will receive almost no support from the state or national
Democratic Party and will actually be
opposed by many party officials who
hope he can be defeated, thus removing a target that Republicans have
used to attack the Democratic Party on
the issue of ethics.
Nevertheless, Jefferson should not
be counted out. For the first time in
over 30 years, there will be party primaries, with the initial primary set for
September 6. Among Democrats in the
district, Jefferson still has some
appeal, so if he can win that party’s
primary, he will likely be elected
again. Among voters in the district,
Democrats outnumber Republicans by
a six to one margin, so the real race is
for the Democratic nomination, which
is why Jefferson is still the candidate
to beat in this election.
Among the leading contenders in
this race is New Orleans District C
Councilman
James
Carter,
a
Democrat. He has been mentioned as a
potential candidate for mayor or councilman-at-large in 2010 among other
offices. Carter put the questions to rest
when he jumped into the race against
Jefferson. Carter will be a formidable
contender in what will be a crowded
and expensive race for Congress. He
has made his mark on the council by
working to reduce crime and serving
as chairman of the criminal justice
committee. His council district
includes both banks of the Mississippi
River and diverse neighborhoods such
as the French Quarter and Algiers. The
2nd congressional district includes
most of Orleans Parish as well as sections of Jefferson Parish on the West
Bank and south Kenner. After two
years on the New Orleans Council,
Carter is well known to Orleans voters. His challenge will be to gain support in Jefferson Parish and compete
against an array of formidable challengers.
Along with Jefferson and Carter,
former WDSU-TV newscaster Helena
Moreno is clearly one of the top contenders. Although Moreno will be
making her first race for office, she is
a very familiar personality due to her
seven years as an anchor and reporter
on local television. Moreno, who once
interned for U.S. Senator Hillary
Clinton, will also be running as a
Democrat. The other major contenders
include several formidable Democrats
such as former New Orleans
Councilman Troy Carter, Jefferson
Parish Councilman Byron Lee, state
Representative Cedric Richmond (DNew Orleans) and Kenya Smith, the
former director of intergovernmental
affairs for the Nagin administration.
What should voters do? Let’s hope
they move in a new direction. A new
Congressman will improve the image
of not only New Orleans, but also the
entire state of Louisiana. “Dollar Bill”
Jefferson has been an embarrassment
for many years. Throughout his checkered career, he has put the interests of
his family over the concerns of his
constituents. He has worked for business entities in other states and countries, but has not delivered enough for
the folks at home. Just look at his congressional district which is one of the
poorest areas in the nation. Crime,
filth and blight are common sights in
many areas of the district. What has
Bill Jefferson done about these
6 AUGUST 2008
KENNER ST★R
★
Government
Help the Lord “Feed my sheep”
By ED MUNIZ, Kenner Mayor
I learned to my
dismay
several
days ago that people in Kenner are
going to bed hungry…that families are
having great difficulty putting food on the
table…and that many youngsters are not
getting the nourishment their young bodies need to grow strong and smart.
And it is worse now than it was just a
couple of months ago. How can this be?
The city Department of Community
Services operates a Second Harvesters
Food Bank at the old Barbre school site
and Mary-Sharon Howland, the community services director, said the shelves are
virtually bare.
She said that donations have not been as
high as in the past and the demand for
food has gone up because of increased
food costs and because, during summer-
time, kids don’t get the one or two federally-funded meals they normally get in
school. School is closed for vacation.
She said the city food bank fed more
than 3,100 individuals in May (about
1,000 families), which is up from the previous average of 2,200 individuals a
month; and the numbers seem to be growing each month. Howland said the numbers for June were down slightly at 2,955
for the month, probably because many
children were attending church-run early
summer camps; but July is expected to be
a big month.
Mail collectors from the U.S. Postal
Service conduct a food drive every May
and November, Howland said, but this
time the May donations were about half
the amount normally collected. The tough
economy apparently is affecting everyone.
Howland said although Second
Harvesters makes a delivery every
Thursday and several businesses in
Kenner also donate generously to the food
bank once or twice a month, it is not
enough to meet the growing need.
I consider myself a good Christian, and
those who hunger need our help. I remember what the Lord said in John 21:17 when
he spoke to Peter and his disciples: “Do
you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord,
you know everything; you know that I
love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my
sheep.”
While one could say that the Lord was
telling Peter to care for the spiritual needs
of his flock, we also know from the story
of the fishes and loaves that physical nourishment for the body is as important as
spiritual nourishment of the soul.
Community Services Director Howland
is drafting a letter to local banks, corpora-
tions and food store chains asking for
donations of cash and unsold non-perishable stocks of food. Her department will
gladly pick up the donated items from
those businesses. Individuals can help,
too, by calling Community Services at
468-7293, and arrangements can be made
to get your donation to the food bank.
All the families in need can use canned
goods, boxed goods like mac and cheese,
cereals, grits, oatmeal, canned or boxed
juices and paper products, especially disposable diapers.
This is my open letter to the community and I ask that you join with me and
Mary-Sharon Howland in feeding the
Lord’s sheep. Thanks, and God bless
you.★
Mayor Muniz can be reached at 4687240.
Come join the Kenner Citizen Police Academy!
By STEVE CARAWAY, Kenner Police Chief
If you’re looking Class 20 of the Kenner Citizens’ Police
for a positive, edu- Academy (KCPA), beginning Tuesday,
cational and fun August 19, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. at the
way to spend your Kenner Police Complex, 500 Veterans
evenings, then the Boulevard.
Kenner
Police
The KCPA is one of our most popular
Department has a unique opportunity for and successful programs. Dozens of acadyou later this month! I invite you to join emy alumni agree that the KCPA is a
Pregnant? Need Help?
The possibility of an unplanned pregnancy brings with it many questions,
which is only natural. The ACCESS Pregnancy & Referral Center is here
for you. Together, we will help you find the answers you need. We are
open to all women in the community, whether single or married, and of
any age. And our services are offered at no charge.
Located at Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Medical Office Building
200 West Esplanade Avenue
Suite 311
Kenner, LA 70065
504-469-9996
www.accesspregnancy.com
unique and amazing opportunity to learn
how the police department operates.
Enrollment in this exciting course is free!
Trained law enforcement professionals
certified in their specialized fields teach the
KCPA. Each night’s course focuses on
informative and important topics including
patrol division functions, crime prevention,
criminal investigations, computer forensics, K-9 unit, crime scene procedures,
criminal and domestic violence laws, court
procedures, narcotics investigations, traffic
enforcement, driver training, physical fitness, use of police force and self defense,
gang awareness and S.W.A.T.
You will also receive a tour of the
Kenner Police Complex and have the
opportunity to ride along with a police officer for your own night on duty!
Upon graduating, you will have the
opportunity to stay active in the KPD by
joining the Kenner Citizens’ Police
Academy
Alumni
Association
(KCPAAA). Graduates of the Citizens’
Police Academy are also eligible to apply
for membership in the Community Police
Corps program.
Being a part of the Kenner Citizens’
Police Academy (KCPA) and the Kenner
Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni
Association is a productive way to support
the KPD and your community in taking a
proactive stance against crime. Not only do
you get to learn about the procedures and
state-of-the-art equipment in each section
of the department, but you also form lasting friendships with fellow citizens and the
police officers who are dedicated to serving you. The KCPA affords a distinctive
opportunity to dispel myths and understand what the police department is really
about. If you choose to be a member of the
Kenner Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni
Association, you can participate in many
of our special events and lead your community in crime prevention.
The KPD holds two sessions of the
KCPA per year, one beginning in February
and the other in August, with classes meeting at 6:30 p.m. once per week for 13
weeks. I look forward to seeing you there!
To enroll in the KCPA, you must be at
least 21 years of age, have no criminal
record and live or work in Kenner. For
more information and to fill out an application, visit the Kenner Police Department
website at www.kennerpd.com. Please
contact the Community Relations Division
at 712-2294 or at [email protected] with any questions you may
have.★
Chief Caraway can be reached by email
at [email protected]. Visit the Kenner
Police Department website at www.kennerpd.com.
Representative Ligi calls town hall meeting
State Representative Tony Ligi will
hold a town hall meeting for Louisiana
House District 79 on Monday, August
11 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be at
W.G. Schneckenburger Elementary
School located at 26 Earnest Avenue in
Kenner.
Topics for discussion will be laws
enacted during the 2008 regular session
and two special sessions of the
Louisiana Legislature.
House District 79 encompasses the
Kenner and Metairie lakefront from the
Kenner/St. Charles parish line to the
Suburban Canal in Metairie between
West Esplanade Avenue and Lake
Pontchartrain.
For more information contact Jane
McLaughlin at 455-3173 or email
[email protected].★
★
7
Government
Hungry? Why wait? Grow it yourself!
By KEN MARROCCOLI, Kenner Recreation Director
This year our
department will
revitalize an old
program and will
revisit old pastimes. The Leisure Services
Division in Parks and Recreation will
offer a community gardening class starting in September at Westgate Playground.
Participants will have the opportunity to
add some shade and color to their park by
planting shrubs and flowers, the two
plants most residents chose when surveyed. And in the spring of 2009, the
class will be taken where we feel it needs
to go, where it is almost being pushed by
the state of our economy – vegetable gardening.
There have been many recent news
reports, including a front page article of a
daily newspaper in July, stating that more
people nationwide are growing their own
vegetables. Reasons range from health
concerns, environmental benefits and the
perks of fresh produce, but mostly people
just want to save money. National Public
Radio (NPR) reports also show that there
is a correlation between the health of the
economy and the number of people
home-growing food. NPR’s “Morning
Edition” this past May reported a 25 percent increase in the number of vegetable
gardens in the United States from 2006 to
2007, and the last time there was such an
interest in growing vegetables was 2001,
during the last economic recession.
Another concern that we hope to
address in this class is the issue of access
to fresh, healthy foods. In June NPR
interviewed economist Dr. Julianne
Malveaux who said that families struggling to put food on the table while food
prices increase will not only continue to
face this hardship for a while, but they are
also being forced to go without healthier,
often more expensive foods such as fresh
produce. As indicated by a one percent
increase in food prices per month over the
past six months, this is not only impacting
lower-income families.
We see a niche forming and we aim to
fill it. In our vegetable gardening class we
will show participants how to grow at
home, and of course we will grow our
own vegetables as a class. While participants will take home the fruits of their
labor, we will also donate any surplus to
the Kenner Food Bank and in this small
way we hope to provide additional fresh,
healthy food for those who do not always
have access to it.
Some non-profit organizations and
other groups in New Orleans are dedicated to urban community farming, but there
is nothing like this in Kenner…yet. Parks
KPD promotes back-to-school safety
The end of summer and beginning of
the school year is a time when children are
most at risk of being abducted. “As kids
head back-to-school, the Kenner Police
Department offers the following tips to
help protect children from being kidnapped,” said Kenner Police Chief Steve
Caraway.
Although it seems obvious, you can
never overly stress to your kids the importance of not talking to strangers. They
must understand that adults do not ask
children for help. Explain that it is wrong
for an adult to even ask a child to help find
a lost animal. Tell your kids to run the
other way and get help from a trusted
adult or dial 9-1-1 in this kind of emergency.
Since safety exists in numbers, it is
important to make sure your child uses the
buddy system when walking or biking to
and from school. Also, remind your kids
that they should always walk in well-lit
areas and never take shortcuts. If they are
home alone after school, teach them never
to open the door for anyone they do not
know and never tell callers they are home
alone.
As with adults, your children must trust
their instincts in all situations. Teach them
that if someone makes them scared or
uncomfortable, it’s best for them to get
away and find help.
“A kidnapping can happen in any community, including our own,” said Chief
Caraway. “The Kenner Police Department
is here to help parents keep our children
safe through education on abduction.”★
and Recreation has offered gardening
classes before and there are garden clubs
throughout Kenner. Homeowners can
plant what they want in their own yards.
But we want to offer something to
Kenner residents whose neighborhoods
do not have a garden club or who do not
have their own yard – those who want to
see their nearby park used to its full
potential.
While vegetable gardening can immediately benefit Kenner residents and their
dinner tables, we also want community
members to learn about the environment
around them, especially the urban environment we live in, and how it impacts
their lives. This fall at Westgate, we will
discuss the benefits of shrubs and trees
and how they naturally filter air and
water, cool temperatures and increase
property values.
Finally, we want to create a space
where residents can meet and get to know
their neighbors. In the news article previously mentioned, one New Orleans resident sees gardening as “a path to stronger
community bonds” and he hopes to build
community gardens on small pockets of
public land in the city. Studies at the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
have shown that healthy neighborhoods –
those having plenty of greenery where
Councilman Kent Denapolis as
president
and
District
3
Councilman Ben Zahn, who was
vice-president.
Under the Kenner City Charter,
the council president sits as acting
mayor whenever the mayor is out
of town or is otherwise unable to
perform the functions of mayor, for
example, if the mayor has a serious
illness that temporarily keeps him
away from the job.★
Ken Marroccoli can be reached at
[email protected].
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We listen, we assess
Stagni, DeFrancesch to lead Kenner Council
District 2 Kenner Councilman Joe
Stagni was chosen president of the
Kenner City Council for the next
six months at the council’s regular
meeting held on July 10. District 4
Councilwoman Maria DeFrancesch
was elected council vice-president.
The selections are part of the council’s policy of rotating the presidency and vice presidency of the council among its members.
They
succeed
District
5
neighbors can connect and build community – have lower crime rates and higher
public health rates than other areas.
We are starting the gardening programs
in our parks, but the results of a study
launched by Mayor Muniz last year on
how best to revitalize Rivertown include
the suggestion to grow vegetables and
have farmers markets in a designated section of the city. It seems that this is where
the times are taking us – back to an older
Kenner, back to the pastime of vegetable
gardening. One might say back to our
roots.
Registration for football, volleyball,
bounceball and cheerleading is going on
now. Head to your local playground to
sign up and enjoy the fun. If you would
like more information on any sports
offered by the Recreation Department
please call 468-7211. For more information on the gardening classes call Maria
Aucoin at 468-7211or look for the
Leisure Services eight-page brochure
inserted in this August edition of the
Kenner Star which will also have a complete listing of our children’s programs,
parent and child programs and adult programs for the fall.★
your needs, we make it easy for
you to make legal decisions.
• Wills - Trusts - Successions
• Real Estate Closings
• Business Law
M LF
Melchers Law Firm
Estate Planning • Real Estate • Business Law
909 West Esplanade Ave., Suite 206, Kenner
James L. Melchers, Attorney-At-Law
Kathy Melchers, Administrator
(504) 467-1092
8
★
Fitness
Play it safe while exercising in the heat
By YVETTE DUSSOUY
We’re all susceptible to heat
illness – regardless of age or fitness level. Recent deaths of
young, high-profile professional
athletes are a sobering reminder that no one can take the
summer heat lightly. As the temperatures rise, staying
hydrated can become a greater challenge for people
exercising both indoors and out. In hot weather, individuals can lose as much as two quarts of sweat per hour. If
left un-replenished, this can lead to dehydration, heat
exhaustion, and even heat stroke.
In humid weather, when the air is saturated with water
vapor, sweat evaporates more slowly, making it harder
for the body to cool itself. As humidity rises, experts
recommend curtailing your physical activity to avoid
heat stroke. In addition, you may need to factor in your
gender and fitness level. Women tend to sweat less than
men, and individuals who are physically fit have more
efficient “cooling” systems.
Knowledge of symptoms and the varying degrees of
heat illness can help you to nip dangerous situations in
the bud.
Symptoms of heat illness
Heat cramps: Cramps often strike individuals who
tackle endurance or high-intensity activities during the
summer. An initial red flag that your body is overheating, cramps cause your muscles to tighten and spasm
severely.
Heat exhaustion: Marked by dizziness, rapid pulse,
nausea, vomiting, fainting. The best prescription is to
cease activity, drink water and rest in a cool area.
Heat stroke: In heat stroke, the symptoms for heat
exhaustion are paired with disorientation. If the core
body temperature of the individual rises above 105
degrees, he or she may, black out, experience convulsions, and even die. If you or someone you are with
experiences any of these symptoms, seek emergency
medical attention immediately!
Prevention: Stay well hydrated: Drink 20 ounces of
water or sports drink two hours before you plan to exercise outside. Drink another 10 ounces 15 minutes into
your workout, and 10 ounces every 15 minutes after
that. If you exercise for more than an hour, consume a
sports drink in addition to water to replace the sodium
you’re losing through sweat.
Dress appropriately: Loose, light colored clothing
that allows evaporation and ventilation is best.
Check the temperature: Don’t exercise when the heat
and sun are most intense, basically from 10:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m.
Avoid chemicals and stimulants: Decongestants and
supplements, such as ephedra, can raise your blood
pressure and heart rate. Alcohol and caffeine can dehydrate, interfering with the body’s cooling mechanisms.
Let yourself warm up: Even if you’ve been active
throughout the winter, it’s a good idea to decrease the
intensity of your exercise a bit as your body adjusts to
warmer temperatures. Keep in mind that it can take up
to two weeks to acclimate.
Of course, in our climate, it’s a really good idea to
work out indoors, in the air-conditioning!★
Yvette Dussouy, for over 15 years has owned and
operated the Kenner Jazzercise Fitness Center, which
has recently moved to a new location, 4228 Williams
Boulevard. A certified instructor for over 18 years,
Dussouy has been awarded Pacesetter Elite status by
Jazzercise, Inc. for the past ten years. Dussouy can be
reached at 464-4600 or [email protected]. The Kenner
Jazzercise Center has classes early morning, morning,
afternoon, evenings and weekends – some include childcare. This class schedule includes classes for the overweight through the very fit. For the complete schedule
visit www.jazzercise.com.
★
Real Estate
Choosing the right community for you
We are a locally owned, independently operated,
family funeral home continuing a tradition that has
endured for 119 years! And we believe that makes a
great difference in the care, service and value your
family receives. If you ever have a question or would
like more information feel free to call or stop by.
By LINDA R. MARTIN
If you are buying a
home, one of the first
things your real estate
professional will do
before taking you on home tours is interview
you to determine the type of house you want,
such as a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom,
split level with a formal dining room and twocar garage. But just as important is the type of
community you want to live in. Knowing what
your requirements are will help narrow your
home search and save time.
To expedite the house-hunting process, start
by making a list of the dream home factors
that are most important to you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, children in
the community and, of course, price.
Price and location generally are the key factors you’ll use to identify the communities that
best suit you. If you are moving within the
same city, you may want to start your community search by getting in your car and exploring. There are also resources on the Internet
that let you compare communities.
You’ll want to ask yourself critical questions, such as: Do you dream of something
quaint and charming that can only be found in
an older area? Or, do you prefer everything
new? Are you willing to sacrifice size and
space for architectural detailing? What about
drive and commute time to the office and
schools? Will you forgo the number of bedrooms and a big yard for proximity to a lake or
other recreational areas?
Whether you have children or not, buying a
home in a community with good schools is
important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and
if you decide to sell. There are plenty of
resources available to get information about
schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school
reports and profiles. They provide statistical
data such as graduation rates, college-bound
percentages and standardized test scores. You
can also learn about special programs the
schools offer. In addition to these reports,
many schools have their own websites you can
peruse. And of course you can always talk to
people in the area or take a tour of the school.
Additional factors you’ll want to consider
during your community search are crime,
recreational activities, proximity to shopping
and restaurants and other specific family
needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your search to two
or three communities that fit your price range
and lifestyle, and make comparisons of price
and sales activity, your real estate professional can help you determine which communities
are most sales-worthy at present, and which
are more likely to continue to be.
There are many factors involved in selecting
the right community for you and your family.
Discuss your options with your real estate professional. This will provide the information he
or she needs to help you find property listings
to tour. Remember, a targeted approach to
house hunting is less time consuming, less
expensive and more efficient.★
Linda R. Martin can be reached at 4436464. Prudential Gardner Realtors is an
independently owned and operated member
of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a
Prudential Financial company. Visit the
Prudential website at www.prudentialgardner.com.
9
★
Community
City Council makes it possible for property owners to enforce Kenner’s “no parking” law
By ALLAN KATZ
For the last decade, Kenner had an ordinance on the
books that allowed a business owner to have someone
illegally parked on their property towed away. The
ordinance called for a process to be set up administratively but in fact was never created.
“I became aware of the problem when I received a
call from a commercial property owner complaining
about illegal parking on her property,” said District 2
Councilman and Council President Joe Stagni. “She
called the city and no one knew what to tell her.”
Councilman Stagni conferred with the city attorney,
the Department of Public Works and the Department of
Code Enforcement to craft the necessary language to
make the ordinance useful. Stagni presented the
changes to the Kenner City Council and the council
unanimously passed those changes which now provides for towing of illegal parkers from commercial
property.
“The most important steps are that the property
owner must post signs 12 inches by 18 inches referring
to the specific ordinance and stating that illegal parkers will be towed,” said Councilman Stagni. “When
illegal parking occurs, the property owner must notify
the Kenner Code Enforcement Department who will
Kenner land use plan heads for city planning
commission, then city council
By ALLAN KATZ
A proposed city of Kenner land use plan, prepared
by the University of New Orleans and labeled,
“Pattern For Progress,” is headed for consideration
by the city planning commission and the city council.
“We think this is a well-done, logical approach to
Kenner’s development in the next 20 years,” says
City Planning Director Jay Hebert. “It is also a flexible approach to planning Kenner’s future growth.
We believe that, if approved, it will help guide the
physical appearance of Kenner over the next twenty
years.”
The report was shaped in part by six planning
workshops and five town hall meetings held between
2002 and 2003 and five public sessions in 2007 and
2008 in which citizens were invited to share their
views for the city’s future with UNO planners.
Citizen views generally favored a continued trend
of single-family housing, called for a study of fast
transit rather than mass transit, asked for the development of more parks and recreational areas with
funds set aside for security, and called for more
development only if sufficient infrastructure is in
place to ensure no drainage or flooding problems.
The UNO study found that Kenner’s population
has entered a period of slow decline, including the
period since Hurricane Katrina. At the same time, the
study said, Kenner is becoming more diverse with
larger African-American, Asian and Hispanic popu-
lations. The study also noted that Kenner’s population is aging with an outflow of younger residents.
The study said that south Kenner, which until 1990
represented more than a third of the city’s population, now accounts for about one-fourth of the population. North Kenner, while also losing population, is
losing at a slower rate than south Kenner.
Another factor, the study said, is that the issue of
the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport remains unresolved. The airport on the one
hand is one of Kenner’s major revenue sources. On
the other hand, the airport includes some of Kenner’s
most valuable land in the center of the city.
Still another variable is that Kenner’s geographic
boundaries do not include much unused or vacant
land, in contrast to communities on the north shore
like Hammond in Tangipahoa Parish that have thousands of acres of unused land that can be set aside for
development.
“However,” says Hebert, “Kenner’s future is bright
because, in fact, Kenner has many assets, including a
skilled, well-educated and proven work force, a location that has proven ideal for retail development,
assured income from the airport and the Treasure
Chest casino that meets all the city’s needs, and a history of progressive government that has blended economic development with residential quality of life.
As always, the future will be exactly what the residents of the city of Kenner choose to make of it.”★
ticket illegally parked vehicles that may then be towed
at the vehicle owner’s expense.”
Stagni says it’s important that the city provide property owners with a means to remove illegally parked
cars from their property. “We don’t want to see anyone
cited or towed,” says Councilman Stagni. “But it isn’t
fair, courteous or respectful to knowingly park your
vehicle on property where the vehicle owner isn’t
doing business or patronizing a business. We want
every legally licensed business in Kenner to have a
chance to flourish. Illegal parkers intrude on a business’ right and opportunity to serve its customers.”★
Doctors’ Discovery
Helps Diabetics
PHILADELPHIA — A team of
doctors has found that a formulation of exotic sounding herbs and
spices gives new hope to diabetic
patients.
The formula, called Cinnatrol™
promotes healthy blood sugar
levels by effectively metabolizing
glucose into energy. In a research
study, all patients taking just one
capful of the liquid (one ounce)
daily, dramatically lowered their
blood sugar levels compared to a
placebo group. Another scientific
study found thatan ingredient in
Cinnatrol made insulin 20 times
more capable of converting blood
sugar to energy.
While individual results vary,
one patient in the study lowered his blood sugar from 220245 to the 100-130 range in only
28 days, despite being instructed not to change his dietary habits or physical activity. Some patients, under their
doctors care, have been able
to reduce or eliminate their
need for diabetic drugs. Scientists say that Cinnatrol helps
diabetic drugs to work more efficiently.
Cinnatrol is available without
a prescription at pharmacies
and nutrition stores or by calling 1-800-339-3301.
©2008 cinnatrol.com
Now available at:
JOHN BULL PHARMACY
2124 38th St. Kenner 443-1294
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Bio clock
(continued from page 1)
system. “When employees are hired, a fingerprint
image scan is made and loaded into the database system. An enrolled person can be instantly identified
with a single fingerprint scan from any bio time
clock in any city of Kenner office.”
Pizzolato notes that Kenner’s Finance Department
processes 26 bi-weekly payrolls each year. The payroll is the single largest cost in running the city.
“Payroll must be accurate, as it represents the city’s
largest budgeted expenditure,” says Pizzolato.
When Mayor Ed Muniz heard that the bio time
clock represented a significant, scientific advancement over traditional punch-in clocks, he asked
Pizzolato and Morris to move Kenner to the new system.
“Our new system prevents punching-in by ‘bud-
dies’ and eliminates human error,” said Morris.
“With this completely automated system, all the
city’s pay policies and leave policies are applied
accurately and impartially.”
Pizzolato also said the new system improves attendance reporting accuracy for use with employee
evaluations. Authentication activity can be monitored in real-time and customized reports that can
retrieve a breakdown of hours worked, hours in pay
status and hours absent for each individual employee. These reports can be accessed from a supervisor’s personal computer.
The local vendor supplying the bio time clock is
Digicomm Systems. Morris said Digicomm Systems
provided the software that goes with the bio time
clock to the city at no cost to Kenner.★
SAY YOU SAW IT IN THE
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Health
Access Pregnancy and Referral
Centers help Kenner residents
deal with unplanned pregnancies
By PAOLO ZAMBITO
July 2008
Aida Casais
Francia Gutierrez
Human Resources
Cage
SUPERVISOR OF THE QUARTER
Melissa Knight
Table Games
The possibility of an unplanned pregnancy brings many questions, which is
only natural. But for residents of the
Kenner area, finding answers and support
is right around the corner. ACCESS
Pregnancy and Referral Center, located at
Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner at 200
West Esplanade Avenue, Suite 311, can
assist and educate individuals, couples or
families on the various options available
when an unplanned pregnancy occurs.
The staff of ACCESS includes trained
peer counselors who recognize the financial, personal and family problems that
may surface with a pregnancy. They are
extensively trained to provide individualized support for all pregnancy-related
concerns and can offer referrals to appropriate resources (such as professional
counseling services and pregnancy-related services) on an as-needed basis.
The ACCESS Pregnancy and Referral
Centers are open to women of all ages in
the community, whether single or married. All services are confidential and
offered at no cost to clients. Some of the
services that are available include pregnancy testing, adoption and parenting,
referrals for prenatal care and communi-
ty resources, post-abortion support counseling, ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy,
and online Medicaid enrollment by certified Medicaid enrollment specialists.
Educational materials are provided to
all individuals to assist them in making
an informed decision about their pregnancy. Peer counselors are knowledgeable about the Louisiana “Woman’s
Right to Know Law”, as well as comprehensive adoption planning and maternity
services.
If you or someone you know has experienced an unplanned pregnancy, please
contact the ACCESS Pregnancy and
Referral Center in Kenner at 469-9996 or
[email protected]. You
can also visit the website at
www.accesspregnancy.com.★
Paolo Zambito, R.N., is chief executive
officer at Ochsner Medical CenterKenner and has served in this role for
three years. Zambito has been at the
Kenner facility for over 16 years. For
more information, contact OMC-Kenner
at the corner of West Esplanade and
Loyola Avenue in Kenner, call 468-8600
or visit www.ochsner.org.
Embarrassment about hemorrhoids is common,
painless quick treatment now available
By ALLAN KATZ
If you suffer from hemorrhoids, there is
a strong chance that embarrassment keeps
you from telling even your physician
about it.
“Hemorrhoids affect between 40 and 50
percent of the population so there is really
nothing to be embarrassed about,” says Dr.
Wagih Mando, a vascular surgeon at
Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner. “The
chances are one in two that your best
friends also have a hemorrhoid problem,
but they don’t tell you and you don’t tell
them. It’s likely that you try to treat your
hemorrhoids problem with over-thecounter treatments that leave a lot to be
desired. But the real problem is that most
people don’t know there is a new, painless,
FDA-approved non-surgical treatment for
hemorrhoids that is 100 percent effective.”
As practiced at the new Colo-Rectal
Center at Ochsner Medical CenterKenner, a band is attached to the blood
vessels that supply the hemorrhoids. There
is no anesthetic needed, the procedure
takes less than a minute and with the blood
supply cut off, the hemorrhoid soon dies.
“This is a vast improvement over the
past, when getting rid of hemorrhoids
involved surgical cutting and sewing,
anesthesia and a painful recovery that
often included not being able to sit for
days,” said Dr. Mando. “Today, our hem-
orrhoids patients return to work immediately without pain or soreness. If there are
several hemorrhoids involved, which is
common, the patient returns every two
weeks for three or four times until all the
hemorrhoids have been accounted for.”
An added advantage of being treated at
the Colo-Rectal Center at Ochsner
Medical Center-Kenner is that the treatment also includes a separate examination
of the colon to see if a colonoscopy is
called for. “We check for bleeding and
polyps,” said Dr. Mando. “I think Kenner
is fortunate to have one of just 16 colo-rectal centers in the U.S. located here.”
Dr. Mando has been practicing in
Kenner for 15 years. He regards Ochsner
Medical Center-Kenner as one of the
finest hospitals in the region, constantly
expanding its facilities to add more specialized care and the latest equipment.
“As the word goes out in the community that there is a painless treatment for
hemorrhoids, we see more patients coming forward to have their problem taken
care of,” says Dr. Mando. “The best way
to eliminate the embarrassment people
feel about suffering from hemorrhoids is
to get rid of the hemorrhoids. No hemorrhoids, no problem. Our patients tell us
their sense of relief is almost beyond
description.”★
11
★
Retirement & Investing
You have long term care
insurance...so why isn’t it enough?
By RONALD HAMPTON
Seniors
who years ago and those who bought them no
buy long term care doubt gained a certain level of comfort.
insurance are fre- But many of these were sold with such
quently told that it will be enough to keep limited benefits that the purchaser would
them from accessing Medicaid by repre- still come up short in the event of a nurssentatives who often paint Medicaid as ing home confinement.
something to fear. Fear may help sell
Does that mean that you shouldn’t have
insurance but it does not properly serve bought such a policy? Not at all. Even a
their clients. With the cost of long term sub-standard policy will give more flexicare insurance estimated to be $85,000 for bility to preserve savings and assets. New
a 65 year old couple, it behooves senior Medicaid laws greatly favor those who
insurance buyers to know what their plan early. But without help, most will
money is buying.
burn through savings and assets quickly
Most seniors know that long term care once their insurance benefits run out. With
insurance is recommended by just about proper planning they will be able to preevery senior advisory group including serve hard earned savings and still qualify
AARP, the American Association of for Medicaid.
Retired Persons. But knowing you need it
The key is being proactive. Even if the
and being able to afford it are two differ- loved one is already confined in a nursing
ent things. Few seniors can afford, or are home, and in spite of the advice of
willing to pay for, as much coverage as “friends and family,” it is possible to prethey might need. Many policies either run serve most or all of the family assets from
out after a specified number of years, or the spend-down process. Medicaid doesn’t
their daily benefits fail to keep up with the consider it their job to tell you how to find
rising cost of care.
and interpret all the rules so be sure you
Take the example of a typical policy seek out an experienced professional for
with a $2,000 monthly cap and a three advice.★
year term. With nursing home costs in this
area often in excess of $4,000 per month,
Ronald Hampton is the principal of
the shortfall in a single year would come Retirement Planning Associates located at
to $24,000. Since an Alzheimer’s patient, 3500 North Causeway Boulevard in
for example, will spend, on average, seven Metairie. Hampton is a Certified
years in a nursing home, the benefits from Retirement Financial Advisor™ and
such insurance will be quickly exhausted. author of “Retirement Land Mines and
When all savings and other assets have How to Avoid Them”©. He can be
been spent, the patient will qualify for reached
at
1-800-569-2902
or
Medicaid and receive the exact same care. [email protected]. Hampton’s
What if you have a policy with lifetime firm is a participant in the Better Business
benefits? These became common several Bureau CARE program.
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Corrupt Congressman
problems? Not enough, if anything.
While his congressional colleagues
hold town hall meetings and promote
the interests of their constituents,
Jefferson has been too concerned
about personal business.
With an upcoming trial on serious
charges, if Jefferson had any honor, he
would resign and save his district
more embarrassment. Unfortunately,
Jefferson does not have any honor and
will humiliate his district with another
campaign. If he is elected again and
then convicted at trial, Jefferson will
have to vacate his position.
Technically, he will not be forced to
leave his post upon conviction, but the
reality is that his congressional colleagues will remove him if he does not
resign. The long suffering citizens of
the Orleans and Jefferson parishes
deserve better, much better.
Voters re-elected Jefferson in 2006,
but he has accomplished almost nothing in this term because he is such a
pariah on Capitol Hill. Electing any-
The Ice House
one else other than Jefferson would be
an improvement. With a new congressman, not only will the state’s
image improve, but also the results
will improve for the people of this district.
Bill Jefferson is a vestige of the corrupt Louisiana political system that
has wrecked the state since the days of
Huey Long. This state cannot afford
politics as usual any more; it is time
for voters to turn a new page and finally demand real representation.★
Jeff Crouere is a native of New
Orleans and his Louisiana based television program, “Ringside Politics,”
airs at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and at
10:00 p.m. Sundays on PBS television
station WLAE-TV, Channel 32, and
from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on
radio station WGSO 990 AM in New
Orleans and the north shore. Visit
Crouere’s website at www.ringsidepolitics.com or email Crouere at
[email protected].
469-3503
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Tires • Alignments • Balancing • Oil Changes
Shocks • Air Conditioner Work • Struts
Brake Service • Batteries • Belts • Hoses
Tune-Ups CV Joints • Fuel Injection Cleaning
4200 Williams Blvd.
465-1312
7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday
www.scottystireauto.com
By CRAIG GOODWIN
For the millions
of people who
have
chronic,
long-standing low back pain, golf can still
be an enjoyable sport. A little effort to prevent back injury and low back pain goes a
long way. When talking about prevention
of low back pain for the sport of golf, the
four key areas to be concerned with are
warm-up, swing, bio-mechanics and carrying the golf bag.
Going directly to the first tee at 7:00
a.m., pulling out the driver, and then proceeding to try to tear the cover off the ball
is probably the surest way to sprain one’s
back muscles, resulting in low back pain.
A thorough warm-up before starting to
play golf is critical for the muscles to get
ready for the round. A couple of simple
stretches for the shoulders, torso, hip and
hamstring areas are important to prevent
injury. Some stretches include holding a
golf club behind the neck and shoulders
and then rotating the torso, pulling knees
to chest and putting your leg on the seat of
your golf cart while bending forward for
the hamstrings.
Gently swinging a golf club helps warm
up the muscle groups and prepares them
for the torque and twisting that a golf
swing requires. Another key area for prevention of back pain is the swing. Practice
swinging before playing golf. Golfers
should emphasize finding a smooth,
rhythmic swing during practice that will
produce less stress and less low back pain.
Always trying to maintain good balance
during your golf swing will help decrease
stress off the low back area.
Bio-mechanics of the swing are important to reduce low back pain. The force
generated by a golf swing largely stresses
the L5-S1 disc space because of the rotation that occurs at that level compared to
the other levels of the low back. Golfers
need to concentrate on the flexibility in
the hamstrings to allow more motion in
the pelvis and help reduce stress to the
L5-S1 disc space. An easy and fluid golf
swing is a must to avoid low back pain.
The last key in preventing low back
pain in golf is carrying the golf bag.
Repeated bending over to pick up a golf
bag can stress the low back and lead to
muscle strain. Using a golf bag that opens
when the bag is set on the ground can
eliminate the need to bend over. If carrying your golf bag, it is advisable to use
KENNER
ST★R
Website
www.kennerstar.com
dual straps to evenly divide the weight
across the back and reduce the chances of
developing low back pain from an uneven
load.
We must have a regular routine of
stretching and low-impact exercise to
help maintain our ability to play golf.
Stretching and maintaining flexibility is
important to individuals with low back
pain in order to prevent further injury or
muscle strain related to golf. Individuals
with chronic low back pain tend to lose
flexibility which will lead to further low
back pain. Staying well-conditioned aerobically will also help lessen discomfort in
the low back area and allow you to enjoy
golf. Low-impact aerobic conditioning,
such as walking or stationary biking, are
both gentle on the back and are usually
well tolerated for golfers with low back
pain. This type of exercise should be done
for 30 to 40 minutes at least three times
weekly.
Most acute low back injuries that occur
during a game of golf will get better over
a couple of days to weeks. Muscle strains
are the most common injury from golf
and usually occur from forceful golf
swings or a sudden shift during a downswing. For relief of the pain and to promote healing from golf-related injuries
and low back pain, it is always advisable
to rest for a day or two from the activity
that promoted the pain, allowing the muscles to heal more quickly. Do not try to
continue playing through an episode of
low back pain. Continuing to stretch and
continuing a low-impact aerobic exercise
program will help the healing process and
allow you to slowly return to playing golf
again. Always remember to apply the prevention tips to help you stay healthy while
playing.★
Craig Goodwin, physical therapist, is
president of Kenner Orthopedic and
Sports Therapy, located at 3921 Williams
Boulevard with two other locations in
Metairie and on the West Bank. Goodwin
graduated from LSU Medical School
Department of Allied Health, Department
of Physical Therapy, in 1987. Anyone who
has experienced an injury and would like
to find out why it happened and what can
be done to help restore normal function in
that area, can email the professionals at
[email protected] or visit the
website at orthosportstherapy.com.
Children’s
Castle
501 Williams Blvd.
Performances on
Saturdays
11:30 a.m
★
Donations inter vivos
13
Law
By JAMES L. MELCHERS
This column is
dedicated to the
memory of Kenner
resident
Mel
Brookey, a long-time reader of the Kenner
Star and this law column.
People utilize donations for three purposes – to show their love and affection
for another, which is a donation that has
no conditions placed on it; to provide
something for another, but with strings
attached; and to reward someone for services rendered. The bulk of donations are
of the first type, and those are called gratuitous donations.
A donation is a gift between living persons. The use of language in the act of
donation such as “in consideration of the
love and affection,” demonstrates that the
disposition is a gratuitous donation. The
donation is basically irrevocable and is
given at the present time. The donor is not
allowed to give away all his property and
possessions. If the donor fails to keep
enough for himself for his own subsistence, such donation is considered null
and void as to the whole gift.
The second type of donation is called an
onerous donation and carries with it
requirements imposed on the recipient,
thus the strings attached. For example, the
donation of property to a city is an onerous donation when the deed conveying
the lots provides that the lots are to be
used for school purposes. This donation is
thus subject to revocation when the property is no longer used for school purposes.
A second example of an onerous donation
is the transfer of land to a daughter during
the father’s life. Although the daughter did
not pay for the land, the donation is onerous because she assumes the obligation
for her father’s support and care while he
is alive.
The third type of donation is one intended as a reward for services rendered and is
called a remunerative donation. For example, an elderly uncle, who depended on his
nephew for anything that required physical labor for a period of 15 years, gave the
nephew a gift to thank him for his assistance.
Louisiana law provides that the onerous
and remunerative donations are not treated as donations unless certain conditions
are met. Donations that do not meet the
conditions are treated under contract law.
This column does not discuss the conditions that must be met, but intends for the
reader to be aware that conditions do exist
specifically concerning the value of the
gift versus the value of the services or
charges rendered or imposed.
The essentials of the donation are form,
capacity, donative intent (desire to give),
delivery and acceptance. The form
required for the validity of the donation
depends to a great extent on the nature of
the thing given. For immovables and
incorporeals (such as real estate, certificates of deposit and rents) the authentic
act is required. The authentic act, which is
written, must be passed before a notary
and two witnesses. The act must be signed
by the parties to the act, the witnesses and
the notary. If the donation of such property is not in authentic form, the donation is
null and void.
A “manual gift” of corporeal movables
such as household furniture, furnishings
and clothing, accompanied by delivery, is
not subject to any other formality. In order
to perfect a manual gift, it suffices that the
donor’s intent to give and the transfer of
the corporeal movable into the actual possession of the donee operate simultaneously.
In order to execute an act of donation, a
person must have the capacity to do so at
the time of the making of the donation. A
presumption arises that all persons possess the capacity to make a donation. A
minor under sixteen years of age cannot
make a donation inter vivos, except to his
spouse or children.
The donation of immovables or incorporeals requires an express written acceptance by the donee (one receiving the gift)
during the life of the donor. A donation is
valid only if accepted in “precise terms”
by the donee. The donee must sign an
acceptance of the donation.
Only property owned at the present time
can be donated. If future property is
donated, the donation is null with regard
to such property. When real estate is
donated, the “Act of Donation” and also
the “Act of Acceptance” must be recorded
in the parish in which the real estate is situated.
Although the donation inter vivos is
normally irrevocable, there are certain
causes for revocation, such as the ingratitude of the donee; the non-fulfillment of
the eventual conditions, which suspend
their consummation; the non-performance
of the conditions imposed on the donee,
and the legal or conventional return.
In conclusion, the Louisiana Civil Code
considers three kinds of donations inter
vivos, namely, gratuitous, onerous and
remunerative. The gratuitous donation is
one made without conditions and merely
from liberality; the onerous is one burdened with charges imposed on the recipient; and the remunerative is one to recompense the recipient for services rendered.★
James L. Melchers is the senior attorney at Melchers Law Firm, located at 909
West Esplanade Avenue in Kenner and the
firm’s primary areas of practice are estate
planning, wills, trusts, successions, corporate law, and personal injury. Melchers
can be reached at 467-1092 or visit the
website at www.melcherslawfirm.com.
Melchers Law Firm is now open one
Saturday morning each month.
50% Off
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&
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Joining Fee
Offer expires August 31, 2008
Valid offer for first time customers and
those that have not been registered for
more than 3 months only.
Must bring this ad in to receive discount!
Kenner Jazzercise Center
4228 Williams Blvd.
www.jazzercise.com
464-4600
Thank you!
I was unopposed for
re-election to the office
of Justice of the Peace,
which I consider a great
honor and an expression
of confidence by the
people in my ability to
administer justice and
the affairs of the office.
I am deeply grateful and
determined to merit your
continued confidence.
Judge Kevin J. Centanni
Justice of the Peace
6th Justice Court
Parish of Jefferson
KENNER ST★R
14
★
Banking
Panic Now?
By GLENN DOTTOLO
If you watch the
daily news it seems
that the media
wants us to all
panic now. Gas prices are up, mortgage
companies are failing and there is a new
financial crisis every week.
I would like to inject a little rationality in
this overheated discussion. America will be
fine. Employment and job growth are both
strong. And, particularly here in Louisiana,
the housing market is okay. None of our
local banks will fail. What we are facing is
a problem created on Wall Street that is, in
turn, causing problems for some of the rest
of us.
Several years ago, investors started buying and selling pools of loans made to borrowers that were very risky. Because of
that, the borrowers inevitably failed to
repay their loans. Therefore the bonds that
Wall Street sold based upon pooling of
those risky loans started to default. This
caused losses for bond buyers and in some
markets, such as Florida and California, it
led to declines in house prices. Prices can
Free Fashion Show
To Benefit the American Cancer Society
August is really hot with our models sporting
kicky fashions & alternative hair.
Wigs, extensions, ¾ pieces, men’s
grafts will all be there.
Representatives from Ochsner Hospital, American
Cancer Society and hair stylists, skin and nail
professional will be answering your questions
as well as doing many demonstrations.
Food, fun, refreshments & door prizes valued
at over $500 (must be registered by 6:45 p.m.)
Monday, August 25, 2008 – 6:30 p.m. til 8:30 p.m.
RESERVATIONS A MUST
www.hairstylesunlimitedinc.com
Thinning hair experts since 1977
Specializing in hair restoration, extensions and alternative hair.
Hair S tylesUnlimited
464-5949 • 3635 Florida Ave.
Building Self Esteem
Thru Dance
Dance Classes
for all ages
Tap
Ballet
Pointe
Lyrical
Jazz
Hip Hop
Pre-School
Mom & Tot
Adult Jazz & Tap
Floor Gymnastics
Youth Adult Performing Company
go down as well as up. Many people forget
this obvious economic reality.
Louisiana was never involved in this
type of lending so we do not face significant declines in house prices nor do we
have a foreclosure problem like most of the
nation. In fact, our local economy is growing well. A recent study shows that last year
New Orleans grew more than any other big
city.
So what does this mean for you? If you
don’t own stock in a bank or other financial
institution, it means nothing. If you do have
stock in a local bank, don’t let the negative
national press worry you, as our market is
in good shape. This happens to not be the
best time to sell stock in any of our local
banks unless you need the money.
It is important to remember that negative
news sells. It is hard to get readers to focus
if the story is about profitable steady
growth. Fortunately for us that is what we
have here in Jefferson Parish. The best
option might be to turn off the television
and be glad that you live here where the
economy is good.★
Glenn Dottolo, manager of Gulf Coast
Bank & Trust’s Kenner Branch Office on
Williams Boulevard, offers twenty-five
years of full service banking to his customers. Dottolo can be contacted at 5653655. Visit Gulf Coast Bank & Trust’s website at www.gulfbank.com.
★
Community
National “Night Out Against Crime”
kick-off party at Treasure Chest Casino
Citizens are invited to join 35 law
enforcement and emergency agencies
Sunday, August 3, 2008, from 4:00 p.m.
until 7:00 p.m., at the ninth annual
“National Night Out Against Crime” kickoff party at the Treasure Chest Casino.
The Kenner Police Department promises
to have a variety of free entertainment such
as activities for children, displays, a red
bean cook-off, live music by the Wise Guys,
food, and demonstrations by law enforcement professionals. New events at this
year’s kick-off party include a splash shack
for children and a flight simulator which
will be provided by the U.S. Air Force.
The kick-off party precedes the 25th
annual national “Night Out Against Crime,”
which is observed over the whole country
on Tuesday, August 5. The Kenner Police
Department invites citizens to join in the
celebration in a variety of ways with block
parties, cook outs, flashlight walks or by
just sitting on their front porches with their
lights on. For those in Kenner organizing a
party on that night, citizens are encouraged
to contact the Kenner Police Department to
have officers visit their neighborhoods.
For more information on the kick-off
party, to register a party for the “National
Night Out,” or to start your own
Neighborhood Watch group please contact
the
Kenner
Police
Department’s
Community Relations Division at 712-2294
or email [email protected].★
New Lion’s Club formed Rivertown
*Morning, evening, and Saturday
classes for pre-school.
*Morning and evening classes for
mom & tot.
Waiting room with TV monitors
to view your childʼs class
Register for Fall Classes:
Saturdays: August 9th, 16th and 23rd
from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Wednesdays: August 13th, 20th and 27th
from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
What makes us the BEST choice?
call or visit our website
3745 Florida Ave. • Kenner • LA • (504)468-3368
www.de
ebbydille
ehaydanc
ce.com
Kenner Mayor Ed Muniz presents a city proclamation to the newly
formed Kenner Rivertown Lion’s Club at a recent Kenner Council
meeting. Front row: Charter member Mary-Sharon Howland,
Councilwoman-at-Large Jeannie Black, Muniz, charter members
Wilma Irvin and Arleeta Terrell, and District 1 Councilman Marc
Johnson. Second Row: Kenner Chief of Police Steve Caraway, District 4
Councilwoman Maria DeFrancesch, Councilwoman-at-Large Michele
Branigan and District 5 Councilman Kent Denapolis. Back row: District
2 Councilman Joe Stagni and District 3 Councilman Ben Zahn.
FALL FUN 2008
Kenner Parks &
Recreation
GAME ON!
K-TV CHANNEL 76
KENNER PARKS AND RECREATION
SHOW FEATURING HIGHLIGHTS OF
ATHLETIC AND LEISURE SERVICE
PROGRAMS AND EVENTS OF
INTREST TO THE COMMUNITY.
GO TO KTV76.COM FOR SHOW DAYS AND TIMES
REGISTRATION FOR LEISURE SERVICE PROGRAMS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PROGRAMS MARKED WITH AN
(DANCE, GYMNASTICS, CERAMICS AND TENNIS LEAGUES – REGISTRATION DATES ARE LISTED INSIDE)
WILL BEGIN MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008 FROM 9:15 AM TO 7:00 PM FOR KENNER RESIDENTS AT
THE LEISURE SERVICE OFFICE LOCATED AT 2508 20TH STREET.
NON-KENNER RESIDENTS MAY BEGIN TO REGISTER ON MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008 FROM NOON TO 7:00 PM.
AFTER AUGUST 18, 2008 REGISTRATION IS TAKEN MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 9:15 AM TO 5:45 PM.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL THE LEISURE SERVICE OFFICE AT 468-7268 OR 468-7284
OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.KENNER.LA.US/RECREATION.HTML.
L E I S U R E S E R V I C E D I V I S I O N - 4 6 8 - 7 2 6 8
A T H L E T I C D I V I S I O N - 4 6 8 - 7 2 1 1
*
2008 FALL
CITY OFFICIALS
Honorable Edmond J. “Ed” Muniz
Mayor
Honorable Steve Caraway
Chief of Police
Honorable Joe Stagni
Councilman, District 2
Honorable Michele P. Branigan
Councilwoman at Large, Division A
Honorable Ben Zahn
Honorable Jeannie M. Black
Councilwoman At Large, Division B
Honorable Maria C. DeFrancesch
Councilwoman, District 4
Honorable Marc E. Johnson
Honorable Kent H. Denapolis
2008 CITY OF KENNER HOLIDAY CALENDAR
Labor Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mon., September 1
Christmas Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thurs., December 25
Thanksgiving Day . . . . . . . . . . . .Thurs., November 27
New Years Eve (observed) . . . . . .Fri., January 2, 2009
Veterans Day (observed) . . . . . . . . .Fri., November 28
New Years Day . . . . . . . . . . . .Thurs., January 1, 2009
Christmas Eve Holiday (observed) . . . . . .Fri., December 26
NO PROGRAMS OR CLASSES WILL BE HELD ON
THE CITY OF KENNER HOLIDAYS LISTED ABOVE.
CLASSES OR PROGRAMS THAT OCCUR ON A HOLIDAY
WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULED.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ATHLETICS
Facility Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Registration Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
LEISURE PROGRAMS
Facility Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Policies and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 & 5
Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 & 5
Parent and Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
2
GYM, PLAYGROUND AND LEISURE SERVICE FACILITY LOCATIONS
KENNER PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR: KEN MARROCCOLI
ATHLETIC DIVISION
LEISURE SERVICE DIVISION
2001 34TH STREET
2508 20TH STREET
468-7211
468-7268
FACILITY
Barbre Gym
Buddy Lawson Playground
Buddy Lawson Gym
Butch Duhe Playground
Butch Duhe Gym
Fassbender Center
Galatas Gym
Galatas Playground
Greenlawn Playground
Keith Woodward Gym
Highway Park Playground
Lincoln Playground
Lincoln Gym
Muss Bertolino Gym
Muss Bertolino Playground
Susan Park Playground
Susan Park Gym
Wentwood Playground
Wentwood Adult Complex
Wentwood Gym
Westgate Playground
Woodlake Playground
Woodlake Gym
TENNIS COURTS
Alabama Tennis Courts
Cannes Brulee Tennis Courts
Rose Minor Tennis Courts
Wentwood Tennis Courts
Westgate Tennis Courts
ADDRESS
1610 Third Street (corner of Maria and Lloyd Price)
1824 Short Street
1800 Short Street
1710 10th Street
1930 10th Street
2508 20th Street
28 Earnest Avenue
41 Nassau Avenue
3323 Arkansas
2001 34th Street
3300 Roosevelt
3100 Tifton Street
3100 Tifton Street
600 W. Esplanade Avenue
2900 Gadsden Street
502 Veterans Blvd.
200 W. Loyola Drive
2 Furman Court
100 W. Loyola Drive
3535 Maine Street
TELEPHONE
468-4002
468-4098
468-7595
468-4082
468-7296
468-7268
468-4019
468-4033
468-7563
468-4032
468-4089
468-4074
468-7598
468-4086
468-4096
468-4066
468-7557
468-7546
468-7594
461-9471
468-4078
468-7281
461-9472
4221 Alabama Street
Cattle Farm Road
520 Taylor Street
3 Georgetown
2635 Maine Avenue
KPRD LEISURE SERVICE DIVISION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
1. Registration for all Recreation Leisure Service Programs will
take place at the Leisure Service office located at 2508 20th
Street, corner of Roosevelt. You may also print a registration form
online at kenner.la.us and mail it to our office address with check
or money order. (Exceptions: Children’s Dance, Day Camp,
Gymnastics and Karate may not register online.)
2. Regular registration will only be accepted on Monday Friday, 9:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The Leisure office closes promptly at 5:45 for registration.
3. Registration will not be accepted from class instructors or at
any facility where class is conducted.
4. All registrations must be completed in person or printed
from the website and mailed in. Only parents are permitted to
register their child/children.
5. Proof of residency required at time of registration. A current
utility bill or driver’s license is the only acceptable form of proof
for Kenner residents to receive the Kenner
residence fee for the Leisure programs A copy of proof of residency must be mailed in with your form and payment to receive
the Kenner resident fee.
6. Regular listed program fee applies for all Kenner
residents. A non-Kenner resident $5.00 surcharge will be
applied to each program that the student participates in.
(Exceptions: Children’s Dance, Day Camp, Gymnastics, one and
two day workshops and ceramics)
7. Family Plan: applies to all Kenner and non-Kenner students, for
all children’s programs only. Family plan fee for 2nd, 3rd, 4th,
etc., child will be $10 OFF of program fee paid for 1st child.
(Exceptions: One and two day workshops, Science Camp and
ceramics) NO FAMILY PLAN FOR ADULTS.
8. Senior Citizens: (55 and older) will receive a 10%
discount on all registrations for themselves. A copy of your drivers license must be presented in person or mailed in to receive
the 10% Senior Discount. (Exceptions: ceramics)
9. Students must register for each new session of Kenner Parks
and Recreation Leisure Service programs, by
completing a new registration form. Program fee must be paid
in full prior to student attending class.
10. Classes are on a first come, first serve basis; however,
Kenner residents take precedence over non-Kenner
residents. Fees are required when you register. Check or money
order will be the only form of payment. NO CASH ACCEPTED!
Also, A SEPARATE CHECK MUST BE WRITTEN FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL PROGRAM. Please make check or money order payable
to Kenner Parks and Recreation Department or K.P.R.D.
11. Please keep a record of dates and times of classes in
which you register. You are to attend the first class, unless otherwise notified by the Leisure Service office.
12. Registration may be accepted after classes begin
provided the class is not full and it is approved by the Leisure
Service Manager; however, CLASSES ARE NOT PRO-RATED. To
ensure your participation in the class/program, please register
on specified registration date.
13. Eligibility Age: Children between the ages of (6) six and (16)
sixteen years old. Child must be (6) six years old before starting
date of class to be eligible for participation in any Recreation
Leisure Service programs with the exception of the Dance,
Gymnastics and Day Camp programs. The Dance program will
accept (3) three-year old students, Gymnstics program will accept
(4) four-year-old students and Day Camp will only accept children between the ages of (5) and (11) eleven years old.
3
14. ALL CHILDREN must provide proof of age upon
registration. An original birth certificate will be the only form of
acceptable age documentation. A copy of participants’ birth certificate will be made by K.P.R.D. staff only and will be kept on
file in the Leisure Service office. (Exception: Any program that
is less than 16 weeks)
15. All classes have minimum enrollment requirements that vary
from one program to another. Kenner Parks and Recreation
Department reserves the right to cancel, combine, or divide
class; change date, time, or location of classes; change instructor
assignments; make other revisions as deem necessary. Individual
classes provide their own rules and regulations in addition to
the rules and regulations of the Kenner Parks and Recreation
Department.
16. Refund Policy: If a class is cancelled by the Leisure Service
Division, a full refund will be made. NO refunds once a class has
begun. If a refund is requested and approved, a 10%
service charge of the class fee will be deducted. All refunds will be in
the form of a check and will be processed within TEN WORKING
DAYS. NO CASH REFUNDS.
17. NSF Check Policy: There will be a $25.00 charge for all
checks returned NSF. The NSF check fee of $25.00 plus the class
registration fee must be paid with a CASHIERS/CERTIFIED CHECK
or MONEY ORDER ONLY, and within (3) three days of notification
or before the next class students attends, whichever comes first.
Student will not be permitted to participate in class until the matter
is resolved. When this problem is properly concluded, student may
resume participation in class.
18. All of the above mentioned will be enforced. Failure to follow these policies and procedures will result in rejection of
your registration.
2008 LEISURE SERVICE FALL PROGRAMS
CHILDREN AND TEENS
*
DANCE and GYMNASTICS
REGISTRATION FOR GIRLS AND BOYS
Kenner residents only: Saturday, August 16, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Non-Kenner residents: Saturday, August 16, Noon - 2:00 PM
INFORMATION: 468-7268 or 468-7284
*
DANCE – Ages 3 & up: Classes are offered in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap and hip-hop. Classes are
held once a week beginning September 8 at the Fassbender Dance Studio. Students will be placed
according to age, years of dance and ability. The dance program will end in June 2009 with the annual
dance revue. Class fee for Kenner residents is $75 and $125 for non-Kenner residents. See “Family Plan
Policy” on page 3.
*
GYMNASTICS – Ages 4-14: Gymnastics classes will include instruction on the balance beam, vault,
uneven bar and tumbling. Classes will be held once a week tentatively on Saturday morning or Tuesday
evenings at Barbre Gym beginning on Saturday, September 13 and continue until Saturday, December 6
for Session 1 and from January 10, 2009 until May 2009 for Session 2. Class fee for each session is
$37.50 for Kenner residents and $62.50 for non-Kenner residents. Children may be registered for only the
first session or both sessions at the August, 16, 2008 registration. See “Family Plan Policy” on page 3.
Registration for Leisure Service programs with the exception of programs marked with an (Dance, Gymnastics, Ceramics and
Tennis Leagues – registration dates are listed with program descriptions.) will begin Monday, August 18, 2008 from 9:15 AM to 7:00
PM for Kenner residents at the Leisure Service Office located at 2508 20th Street. Non-Kenner residents may begin to register on
Monday, August 18, 2008 from noon to 7:00 PM. After August 18, 2008 registration is taken Monday-Friday from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM.
For more information call the Leisure Service Office at 468-7268 or 468-7284 or visit our website at www.kenner.la.us/recreation.html.
*
Mini Camps
NEW!!
THANKSGIVING
CAMP
Mon., Nov. 24
thru
Wed., Nov. 26
Need something for the kids to do during the holiday vacations?
Send them to our Holiday Camps.
Activities will range from arts & crafts to indoor/outdoor games.
Lots of FUN for the kids. Daily fee available.
Limited to 25 children each session.
Ages: 5 – 11
Location: Fassbender Center
Camp Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Before Care: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
After Care: 3:00 – 5:30 p.m.
Before and after care included
in camp fees
Camp Fee:
Kenner Residents
$60 per 3 day session
Non-Kenner Residents
KPRD Marching and Flag Teams
NEW!!
Ages 12 and up
Want to march in 2009 Mardi Gras parades?
For tryout info call Debbie Reese at
468-7268 or 468-7284.
4
HOLIDAY
CAMPS
Mon., Dec. 22 to Wed., Dec. 24
Mon., Dec. 29 to Wed., Dec. 31
Mon., Jan. 5 & Tues., Jan. 6
CHILDREN AND TEENS
Registration for Leisure Service programs with the exception of programs marked with an (Dance, Gymnastics, Ceramics and
Tennis Leagues – registration dates are listed with program descriptions.) will begin Monday, August 18, 2008 from 9:15 AM to 7:00
PM for Kenner residents at the Leisure Service Office located at 2508 20th Street. Non-Kenner residents may begin to register on
Monday, August 18, 2008 from noon to 7:00 PM. After August 18, 2008 registration is taken Monday-Friday from 9:15 AM to 5:45 PM.
For more information call the Leisure Service Office at 468-7268 or 468-7284 or visit our website at www.kenner.la.us/recreation.html.
*
ARTS & CRAFTS
PINTSIZE PAINTERS - Ages 7-12
Young artist will be introduced to the fun filled world of painting.They
will use watercolors to complete at least 3 paintings.The course will end
with an art show. Instructor: Lois Brown.
Classes Held:
Friday
September 19 - October 24
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $35
MUSIC
PHYSICAL FITNESS
KARATE - Ages 6-14
LET’S SING - Ages 7 & up
A singing workshop where students learn vocal abilities.The class
will culminate with a performance at the Kenner Christmas
Village. Instructors: Jennifer Twilbeck and Sara Gaitan.
Classes Held:
Thursday
October 9 - December 4
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $25
This is a Tae Kwon Do Karate WHITE BELT BEGINNERS class that
will teach self esteem, confidence, discipline, positive thinking, eye-hand
coordination, balance, flexibility, self defense and respect for others.
Instructors: Candace Frisard and Daniel Truxillo.
Classes Held:
Tuesday & Thursday
September 9 - December 18
Class Fee: $44
Fassbender Center
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
CARTOONING WORKSHOP - Ages 9 & up
Students will begin the workshop by learning the correct positioning of facial features by drawing and completing a human face.
The second part of the workshop students will create their own
cartoon character and comic strip just like they see in the newspaper using some of the same techniques as the professionals for
animation. Come and join instructor Judy Erwin and learn the art
of cartooning in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Supplies included
in workshop fee. Students must bring a bag lunch.
SCIENCE
NEW!!
Workshop Held:
Saturday
September 13
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Workshop Fee: $25
TEEN ART - Ages 13-17
Teens will learn the basics of pencil drawing, watercolor and
acrylics. Each student will end the program with 3 completed art
projects. Limited to 10 students.All supplies included. Instructor:
Brenda Gruber.
Classes Held:
Monday
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $35
SPOOKTACULAR - Ages 6-12
Devour some cobwebs and gulp witch’s brew! Create scary fluid
in a vial and make your fingertips float.Watch an indoor fireworks show to scare off all the scary monsters. Instructor:“Mad
Science”.
Workshop Held:
Saturday
October 25
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
NEW!!
Fassbender Center
Workshop Fee: $15
$5 supply fee paid at workshop
WHIMSICAL WINTERLAND - Ages 6-12
Make sparkling snowflakes, watch a snow storm, help defrost a
snowman, have a New Year’s celebration!! Instructor:“Mad
Science”.
Workshop Held:
Saturday
December 6
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
NEW!!
Fassbender Center
Workshop Fee: $15
$5 supply fee paid at workshop
TENNIS
TENNIS - AGES 7-14
Beginner (Ages 7-14) - For the player that has never taken lessons.
Advanced Beginner (Ages 10-14) - For the player that has already had
Beginner lessons, knows scoring and is able to use techniques
for basic strokes.
Intermediate - Took Beginner and Advanced Beginner courses.Able to
serve and rally with consistency and place shots. Instructors: Ellie
Chavis.
Classes Held:
Wednesday
Sept. 17 - Nov.. 5
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Beginner (9-up)
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. - Adv. Beginner
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Intermediate
Class Fee: $40
Thursday
Sept. 18 - Nov. 6
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - 7 & 8 yr. olds
5 p.m. - 6 p.m. - Beginner (9-up)
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Adv. Beginner
PARENT AND CHILD
COOKING
CERAMICS
SEWING
CHRISTMAS COOKIE TREE
Parent and Child Workshop - Ages 6 & up
JACK-O-LANTERNS & A BLACK CAT
HEMS, STITCHES & PATCHES
Create a beautiful Yule Tree from cookies as a decoration. This is a fun way to share a holiday memory with
your child or grandchild. Recipes are given for cookie
dough and various icings. Each family (parent and child)
will take home a Christmas Cookie Tree. Recipes for
Christmas Cookies will also be given at the workshop.
Instructor: Cheryl Roper.
What a great way to try ceramics for the first time – with your
child or grandchild. This great seasonal program will be held for
3 weeks and will include a Jack-O-Lantern for both you and
your child or grandchild to complete. A bonus black cat will be
included to add to this “FUN” display. The first class will teach
how to clean the greenware, second class will include how to
stain, and third class will be on sealing and finishing your
adorable set of pumpkins. Class fee includes all supplies.
Learn the basics of hand sewing buttons, hems, patches and how
to repair a zipper, etc. Instruction for the blind stitch, whip stitch,
and chain stitch included. Instructor: Cheryl Roper.
Class Held:
Saturday
December 13
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Workshop Fee: $25 per family
(one parent and one child)
NEW!!
Class Held:
Wednesdays
October 8, 15, 22
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Fee: $40 per family
5
Class Held:
Wednesday
September 24
6:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $15 per family
ADULTS
FITNESS
ARTS & CRAFTS
TENNIS
BODY WORKOUT IN THE P.M.
WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP
TENNIS
This is a combination three day program. The class will focus on
burning fat, increasing metabolism, ab work, strengthening with
hand weights (optional leg weights), cardio alternate with aerobics and kickboxing. At the end of each class will be stretching
and relaxation techniques. Instructor: Mary Bergeron.
Learn the basic watercolor techniques. Beginner knowledge of
drawing is not necessary. Supply list will be given at registration.
Instructor: Marian Hebert.
Beginner - For the player that has never taken lessons.
Advanced Beginner - For the player that has already had
Beginner lessons, knows scoring and is able to use techniques
for basic strokes.
Instructors: Ellie Chavis and A.J. Guitterrez.
Class Held:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Session 1 - September 8 - October 24 Fassbender Center
Session 2 - October 27 - December 19 Class Fee: $35
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
per session
Class Held:
Thursday
September 11 - December 18
(No class October 2 and November 6)
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Rivertown Cottage
Rivertown Cottage
Class Fee: $45
Class Fee: $45
HATHA YOGA IN THE P.M.
NAPKIN ART
A class open to all levels of practice where focus is on breath
relaxation, flexibility and balance. Poses of varying levels of
difficulty are introduced with modifications and intensifications.
Instructor: Julie Moncada.
Create beautiful napkin art for your place settings as seen in
fancy restuarants and cruise ships. Impress your family and
friends with “special napkins” on your holiday table. Napkins for
practice included with workshop fee. Instructor: Cheryl Roper.
Class Held:
Monday & Wednesday
7:10 p.m. - 8:10 p.m.
per session
Workshop Held:
Wednesday
November 12
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
6:15 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
NEW!!
Kenner Pavillion
Class Fee: $12
STRETCHING & TONING IN THE A.M.
Are you a “morning person” and want to get your body back in
shape, join this great fitness program. Please bring 3-5 lb. hand
weights. Instructor: Mary Bergeron.
Classes Held:
Wednesday
September 17 - November 5
9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Beginner
10 a.m. - 11 a.m. Adv. Beg.
7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Beginner
8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Adv. Beg.
Cannes Brulee Courts
Class Fee: $40 for 8 lessons
Thursday
7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Beginner
8 p.m. - 9 p.m. Adv. Beg.
Alabama Court
Class Fee: $40 for 8 lessons
TENNIS LEAGUES
Adult Tennis Leagues.
Men’s League
Monday Night - Players that are level A - B+
Mixed League
Tuesday Night - Players that are level B+ - C
League played at Alabama Tennis Courts and
Cannes Brulee Tennis Courts
League registration will begin on
Monday, August 18, 12:00 noon - 7:00 p.m.
Kenner Residents League Fee: $20
Non-Kenner Residents League Fee: $25
Registration will remain open until leagues are filled.
Call 468-7268 for more information.
League play will begin the week of September 8
Leagues are not for beginners.
Class Held:
Monday, Wednesday & Friday
Mon. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
per session
Awards will be given at the end of the league.
ARTS & CRAFTS
DANCE
GARDENING
COUPLE DANCING
PAINT FOR FUN
An adult oil painting “recreation art” class that will amaze each
student with a finished painting. Students will receive an art supply
list at time of registration. Instructor: Brenda Gruber.
Class Held:
Tuesday
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $45
Tuesday
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Class Fee: $45
FLEUR-DE-LIS WORKSHOP
Learn to create a dramatic gilded Fleur de Lis picture that will
be a great gift for the holidays or any occasion. You will paint a
Fleur de Lis and than outline the picture in gold leaf. Supplies
included in workshop fee. Instructor: Brenda Gruber.
Workshop Held:
Saturday
September 13
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
NEW!!
Fassbender Center
Workshop Fee: $18
Come and learn the Salsa, Merengue, Cha-Cha, Zydeco,
Western Two-Step and more. Dancing as a couple is back in
style. Instructor: Dave Sepulveda.
Classes Held:
Monday
Session 1 - August 25 - October 20
(No class Septemer 1)
Lions Club
7:45 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
per person, per session
LINE DANCING
Learn the newest line dances for exercise and fun. Latin, Disco,
Oldies, Top 40, Rhythm & Blues, Country and more will also be used
to teach all the dances. Instructor: Dave Sepulveda.
Classes Held:
Monday
Lions Club
5:45 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
CERAMICS
LINE DANCE ADVANCED
Adult ceramic classes will be offered for the fall beginning
September 8. Classes will consist of one class a week. Class
monthly fee: $16. (Must register at Ceramics Studio, call 4687593.)
Know all the “basic” line dances. If you are ready to learn more
complicated line dances, sign up for this class. Instructor: Dave
Sepulveda.
Class Held:
Morning Program
Tuesday or Thursday
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Night Program
Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fassbender Center
Classes Held:
Monday
Lions Club
6:45 p.m. - 7:45 p.m.
6
HOME GROWN VEGETABLES
With gas prices at an all time high, your monthly grocery bill
increasing and tomatoes causing concern nationwide, now is
the time to grow some of your own food. Whether you live in
an apartment or a house, we will show you how to grow a few
fall vegetables in the yard or in containers and will provide you
with the supplies to get started.
Class Held:
Saturday
September 20
9:00 a.m. - Noon
NEW!!
COK Veterans Park Greenhouse
Class Fee: $10
WILDFLOWERS & SHRUBS
Be part of this HANDS ON community planting program at
Westgate Playgound. Meet your neighbors, add color and shade
to your neighborhood park, know the sense of pride after helping to grow shrubs and wildflowers yourself.
Program Held:
Tuesday
3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
NEW!!
Westgate Playground
Class Fee: $18
2008/2009 CHILDREN’S ATHLETIC PROGRAM REGISTRATION SCHEDULE
LISTED BELOW ARE THE DATES TO REMEMBER REGARDING REGISTRATION & PRACTICE DATES. DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
FOOTBALL
Registration begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 21, 2008
VOLLEYBALL, BOUNCEBALL and CHEERLEADING
Registration begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July 21, 2008
BASKETBALL
Registration begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
October 27, 2008
SOCCER
Registration begins . . .September 15, 2008 & January 12, 2009
TRACK
Registration begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .January 12, 2009
Meets begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .February 2009
The starting dates of these leagues will be determined by the dates
rosters are registered with Kenner Parks and Recreation Department.
CENTRALIZED REGISTRATION
Participants must report to their local playground. If you are a first time participant
or you have an expired ID in any sports program, you will be sent to Woodward
gymnasium for processing of the Centralized Registration Procedures.
Please bring an original birth certificate and proof of residency!
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL 468-7211
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-7211
Adult Leagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
468-7211
Leisure Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-7268
Registration and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
468-7210
Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .468-7211
7
ADMISSION
Adults: $6 per show • Children/Seniors: $5 per show
• Multi-show packages available
Children: 2-14 years • Seniors: 60 and over
For group reservations,
please contact Pat: 468-7231, ext. 222
SHOW SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!
Join us aboard
the Star Traveler
spaceship and
be part of a mission to explore
all the planets
in our Solar
System! This
lighthearted
planetarium
show takes
audiences on
a fun filled
adventure while introducing
basic facts about the size, temperature, and atmosphere of
each planet. But beware; the Captain may need your help!
Test your math skills as he calls upon you to calculate the
fuel needed for a return trip to Earth!
Narrated by Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart, this detailed planetarium show offers a recap of the mission’s accomplishments!
Audiences will be treated to more than just close-up views of
the planets, but also views of moons, ring systems and atmospheric storms that were never known to exist before “The
Voyager Encounters!”
Running time: 35 minutes
Tues.-Sat. – 10:00 a.m.
Tues.-Sat. – 2:00 p.m.
Get up close and personal with the Gas Giants of our Solar
System! Launched in 1977, two Voyager space probes
began a two decade long journey of exploration and discovery at the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Get into the “spirit” with a show full of the Red, White,
and Blue! From patriotic to pop, this show rocks to a
wide selection of great music and will leave you beaming
with American pride. Selections include Summon the Heroes, Santorini, a Beatles medley and many other familiar
favorites!
Tues.-Sat. – Noon and 3:00 p.m.
Just 2 minutes from the airport at 2020 Fourth Street – Rivertown – 468-7231, ext. 220
www.rivertownkenner.com
ONE DAY PASS
Adult: $15.00
Child/Senior: $10.00
*Children 14 & under/Seniors 60 & up
Includes admission to all Rivertown
museum attractions, including:
• Toy Train Museum • Mardi Gras Museum
• Science Center • Native American Village
• Kenner’s Heritage Park
Plus, your choice of one feature at:
• Kenner’s Planetarium and
Megadome Cinema
• Planetarium Sky Show
• Large Format Film • Laser Light Show
SATURDAYS ONLY:
$1.00 off Children’s Castle
(with purchase of One Day Pass)
Tuesday - Saturday
11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM
The Rivertown Box Office is located at 415 Williams Boulevard.
Hours of Operation: Tue-Sat, 9 am – 5 pm.
For more information, call 504-468-7231, ext. 220 or visit us at: www.rivertownkenner.com
★
15
Airport
HEATING
& A/C
Convention air traffic returns
By SEAN C. HUNTER, Director of Aviation Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
An important
factor in the
resurgence of our
area since the
storm has been the return of our convention business. The American Library
Association was the first big convention
to be held in New Orleans post-Katrina.
All eyes in the tourism industry were
watching to see if our infrastructure
could support it and the outcome, as
many of you have heard, was even better
than expected. The success of that meeting was instrumental in sending the message that “New Orleans is back.”
The New Orleans Convention and
Visitors’ Bureau, along with its sister
organizations throughout the area, has
done a yeoman’s job in retaining and
regaining convention traffic. Business
travel and conventions in New Orleans
in 2007 were approximately 70 percent
of pre-Katrina levels and for 2008 it’s at
approximately 80 percent of pre-K levels. These numbers have paralleled the
return of our air traffic as well. Our
promising return has been the result of
working together with the CVB and
business leaders. Steady dialogue has
produced steady growth. More demand
has meant more air service and their
growth has influenced ours.
Looking forward to the convention
schedule for the rest of 2008 and 2009,
there are already higher business levels
for the first five months of 2009 than
2008 and the CVB still has the remainder of 2008 and 2009 to book additional
meetings. We are encouraged by the
2009 listing of meetings ranging in size
from 1,000 to 25,000 visitors per convention. Many organizations have
selected New Orleans for their meeting
to support our recovery and to give their
conventioneers a first hand look at the
rebuilding underway. A great example of
this is the Starbucks Leadership
Conference scheduled for this fall. This
conference will bring 12,000 conventioneers on five charter flights from the
west coast. The meeting will mark the
first time the gathering of store managers and field leaders has been held
outside of Seattle. “This is the largest
short-term corporate meeting that the
bureau has ever booked in its history,”
says Stephen Perry, president of the New
Orleans Metropolitan Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
Many factors play into a decision to
hold a convention in New Orleans. Chief
among them is the ability of the conventioneers to get here. The airlines that
serve Armstrong International Airport
have been extremely cooperative in
adding additional seats to meet the conventioneer demand. My hat is off to
them for their willingness to work with
us. Unfortunately, one of those airlines
will no longer be serving our market.
ExpressJet has decided to cease operations nationwide effective in September,
due to the high cost of fuel. In fact, there
will be reductions of air service nationwide for many carriers due to fuel cost.
Airlines have never seen this type of
economic challenges – it’s their Katrina.
I will give you an update next month on
how we expect to be impacted.
We are optimistic about the growth
and rebound of the convention/leisure
traveler in our market, but we’re cautiously optimistic about air service
return given the current volatile nature
of the aviation industry. Louis
Armstrong New Orleans International
Airport is prepared to meet the challenges of our industry. We are confident
that, working together, we will see
bright days once again.★
Sean C. Hunter can be reached at
www.flymsy.com. Watch our 30 minute
television program, “Airport Alive.”
Check your local listings for time and
date.
SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION
“Where the Customer is King”
Spring A/C
Check Only
$70.00
8 Point Inspection
Tune Up
w/Coupon
FREE
Estimates
on new installations
Now offering
• Lifetime Warranty
• 10yrs Parts & Labor
Licensed & Insured
504-461-5861
ORTHOPEDIC CENTER FOR SPORTS MEDICINE
Luis M. Espinoza, M.D., Charles P. Murphy, M.D., Thomas R. Lyons, M.D.
ZA, M.D.
LUIS M. ESPINO
Orthopedic Center for Sports Medicine is a multispecialty center of excellence dedicated to providing the highest quality care for patients with injury or disease of the
musculoskeletal system. Charles P. Murphy, M.D., Thomas R. Lyons, M.D. and Luis
M. Espinoza, M.D. are fellowship trained and board certified orthopedic surgeons.
Their practice encompasses sports medicine, arthroscopy, joint replacement surgery,
fracture care, and occupational injuries with focused expertise in surgery of the
shoulder and knee. The Orthopedic Center utilizes in house physical therapists to
facilitate recovery following injury or surgery. We are pleased to announce the addition of an extremity MRI at our Metairie office for added patient convenience.
Drs. Espinoza, Murphy, and Lyons are pleased to announce their association as orthopedic consultants to the New York Mets AAA affiliate New Orleans Zephyrs.
671 W. Esplanade Avenue, Suite 100, Kenner 467-5900
4921 Airline Drive, Metairie 889-2663
16
★
Horse Liniment
Erases Pain
HIALEAH, FL — An ingredient
mechanism whereby one ingreoften used to treat inflammation in dient relieves pain immediately,
racehorse legs, is now back on the
while a second ingredient seeks
market in its original doctor recom- out and destroys the pain mesmended clinical strength formula.
senger signal before it can be sent
According to a national drug store to the brain. Considered a medisurvey, the formula at one time be- cal miracle by some, the ARTH
came so popular that it rose to the ARREST formula is useful in
top of pharmacy sales for topical pain the treatment of painful disorders
relievers. But the company marketranging from minor aches and
ing the product at the time changed pains to more serious conditions
the formula and sales plummeted.
such as arthritis, bursitis, rheuOne of the inventors of the original
matism, tendonitis, backache and
formula has brought it back to the more.
market under the trade name ARTH
ARTHARREST is available in
ARREST and says it can relieve pain a convenient roll-on applicator at
for millions.
pharmacies without a prescripARTH ARREST works by a dual
tion or call 1-800-339-3301.
Now available at:
©2008 key2health.com
JOHN BULL PHARMACY
2124 38th St. Kenner 443-1294
THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT.
NURSE MANAGER
Behavioral Health
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Sports
Shockey adds shock value
By KEN TRAHAN
As your New Orleans Saints
go through training camp in
Jackson, Mississippi unnecessarily (they should train at
home or in Louisiana where the state and taxpayers
fund them), the evaluation process begins for coaches, front office personnel and fans. Can the Saints win
the NFC South? Can the Saints win the NFC? Can the
Saints win the Super Bowl? For those of us of faith,
the answer to all three questions is a definitive “yes.”
We adhere to the positive word in Matthew 19:26 –
the motto of the state of Ohio – “With God, all things
are possible.”
Fortunately, it does not require an act of God to
contend in the NFC. While there are good teams,
there are clearly no great teams in this conference.
There may be as many as four teams in the AFC better than any NFC team on paper. New England,
Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh are all
excellent. With total respect for the world champion
Giants, the vicious Vikings, the capable Cowboys,
the potent Packers, the solid Seahawks and the battling Bucs, no team truly strikes mortal fear into you.
On that note, the Saints certainly have a chance (see
2006) though they will have to have many things fall
right.
The questions linger – will Deuce McAlister return
to his pre-knee injury form anytime this season? Can
Pierre Thomas become a feature back? Will Robert
Meachem step into a prominent role? Can Jonathan
Goodwin start successfully at center in the NFL? Will
Sedrick Ellis make an immediate impact? Can
Jonathan Vilma recover from a bad injury to solidify
the linebacker corps? Will the woeful secondary get
better with the likes of Tracy Porter, Randall Gay and
Aaron Glenn? Will Mike McKenzie return to form
and be the team’s top corner at some point? Will
Taylor Melhaff be a good kickoff man to help below
average coverage teams? Will he eventually beat out
Martin Gramatica for place kicking duties? Can
Reggie Bush, Skyler Green or someone else step up
to provide some semblance of a return game?
These are many questions. Some will have positive
answers, some likely will not. One question was
addressed in definitive fashion prior to training camp.
The Saints acquired four-time Pro Bowl tight end
Jeremy Shockey from the Giants for a second and a
fifth-round draft pick in 2009. To obtain a player of
Shockey’s caliber who is just short of 28 years old is
a bold move. Credit Executive Vice President and
General Manager Mickey Loomis for executing the
deal.
From a purely football perspective, it is an excellent one, in my estimation. Shockey is a top-shelf
tight end in the NFL. He is a more than competent
blocker, a facet of his game that often gets overlooked or understated. He runs well, possessing the
ability to stretch the field in the seam, opening up
opportunities for outside receivers. He will take double-teams away from Marques Colston, preventing
opposing defenses from rolling their “Cover Two”
schemes to Colston regularly, giving the Saints a
great compliment to Colston which they have sorely
lacked. The Saints haven’t had a truly good, consistent tight end since the days of Saints Hall of Famer
Hoby Brenner. He hasn’t played here since
1993.Their last good receiving tight end was Saints
Hall of Famer Henry Childs. He hasn’t played here
since 1980. “We’ve been on the lookout for an allaround tight end and haven’t been able to get one.
This is a chance to get a first-round talent, a guy who
can run, catch and block. He can do it all,” said
Loomis on my “All Access Sports Talk” on WGSO,
990 AM and WGSO.com the night of the deal.
In six seasons in the league, Shockey has 371
catches for 4,228 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has
averaged 61 receptions per year, 11.4 yards per catch
and 4.5 touchdowns per season. Ironically, his most
productive season was his first in the league – 2002,
when he played under one Sean Payton as his offensive coordinator for the Giants. The first-round pick
(14th overall) had 74 catches for 894 yards and a pair
of touchdowns in that rookie season, a fact not lost on
Shockey as he reunites with Payton: “I have had a
relationship with Coach Payton and I appreciate what
he has done as a head coach. This team will have a lot
of weapons,” said Shockey. Despite playing just six
seasons for New York, Shockey is the all-time leader
for most receptions by a tight end in Giants history.
If there is a question or knock on Shockey, it is all
about him, literally. He is the ultimate “look at me”
21st century, new generation, seemingly selfish player. He has openly criticized coaches, complained
about not getting the football enough, berated Eli
Manning within camera view of all watching, shouted at General Manager Jerry Reese during this year’s
minicamp, refused to even come to the practice field
with his injured teammates as a protest at minicamp
and was apparently not allowed to be on the sidelines
with his teammates at the Super Bowl. Cameras spotted him seated upstairs drinking beer during the
Giants shocking win over the Patriots. He was both
disgruntled and disruptive in New York. New York
Daily News writer Ralph Vacchiano wrote that,
“Jeremy Shockey is now somebody else’s problem.”
John Branch of the New York Times seemed to capture the move best: “With one trade on Monday, the
Giants solved one problem and created another, losing a habitually disgruntled star player and a perennial Pro Bowl tight end.” Loomis is not concerned
about the character of Shockey: “I think his character
has been fantastic. He has never been in trouble off
the field. He is liked by teammates. He is passionate
about winning. He’s emotional which sometimes gets
him in trouble. We know what we’re dealing with. I
would rather have a guy with a little fire,” said
Loomis.
It is also true that the Giants took off following the
season-ending injury to Shockey in which he broke
his fibula in the 14th game of the season against the
Redskins. Rookie Kevin Boss replaced him and the
Giants went on an amazing, improbable title run.
Manning came of age, realizing his potential. Without
Shockey. Was it addition by subtraction?
In the short-term, yes. In the long-term, no way.
Jeremy Shockey is among the elite tight ends in the
NFL (see Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen
Winslow, II, Dallas Clark, Jason Witten). Players
with this talent are hard to replace. In the last four
years, Saints tight ends have only four touchdown
receptions. In the same period of time, Shockey has
23. He can play, pure and simple. Can he avoid the
combustible, volatile side of his personality that
could explode at any time?
In New York (New Jersey, technically), Shockey
never liked or respected Tom Coughlin. He did not
have the total respect necessary for a quarterbackreceiver combination with regard to Manning. He
was under the constant glare of the most massive
media corps in the league. Here, he clearly likes and
respects Payton, he is likely to give Drew Brees more
continued on next page
Shock value
props than Eli, and he will operate in the
theater of a small market with a fair and
friendly media spotlight.
This looks like a classic change-ofscenery scenario benefiting both parties.
He clearly wanted out of New York: “He
doesn’t want to be here, he doesn’t want
to play here. I think the best thing for
them and for Shockey is, if they have the
opportunity, let him go,” said former
teammate Michael Strahan, now an analyst for Fox to the New York Post.
Commenting further, Strahan provided
encouragement for Saints coaches and
fans: “Jeremy is a special talent. He’s so
competitive, he wants the ball every time.
I can’t fault him for that. Jeremy was a
great teammate. There’s not a guy in the
locker room who’d say, ‘he’s a jerk, I
don’t like him.’ If you want to learn how
to work hard, how to be intense, to
believe you’re the best and demand the
best out of yourself, you just watch
Jeremy Shockey.” Manning has echoed
these comments publicly.
When I see Jeremy Shockey, I immediately think of Kyle Turley. I see the tattoos. I see the “I, me, look at me” gestures. I see a player with passion. I see a
talented player who can play at a high
level. I see a player that opponents hate. I
see a player that home fans love. I see a
player capable of blowing his top like
Mount Vesuvius, which laid waste to
Pompeii when it erupted in 79 A.D.
That’s what happened to Turley here and
with his career. Might Shockey explode
and lay waste to the foundation of the
New Orleans Saints?
While it is possible, I do not think it
will occur. Team leaders such as Brees,
McAlister, Will Smith, McKenzie and
Colston will keep the locker room solid,
all about the team. Shockey will be asked
to adhere to this mantra and be kept in
line. If he does, it will have been a wonderful trade. ESPN.com writer Pat
Yasinkas certainly sees the possibilities:
‘The New Orleans Saints went from having a pretty good offense to having a
great one,” he said with regard to the
acquisition of Shockey. The contract status of Shockey was also attractive to
Saints Executive Vice President and
General Manager Mickey Loomis. He
has four years left on the deal, guaranteeing long-term security for both parties in
New Orleans. Additionally, the Giants
paid for Shockey’s signing bonus in full
when he inked a five-year extension
worth $26 million in 2005 to his original
deal.
Coach Payton will play a large role
here. He will allow Shockey rope to
express his feelings and personality. This
acquisition is all about Payton. He carries
the power in the organization, in particular, with the recent dismissal of Player
Personnel Director Rick Mueller. He
wanted Shockey and would not let it go
until the deal was done. Shockey is likely
to see the football more in New Orleans.
Drew Brees will love the target he pres-
ents and his presence in the short to intermediate passing game from hash mark to
hash mark. Sean Payton is more of a
pass-happy coach than Tom Coughlin
will ever be. Shockey clearly wanted to
play in New Orleans. He helped engineer
the deal with his antics.
Shockey is an emotional player who
will be suitably motivated: ‘If the team
trades me, I promise you I’m going to
make them pay. If I ever get a chance to
play against a team that trades me, it’s not
going to be a pretty sight,” said Shockey
to New York Newsday prior to the deal.
The Saints and Giants are not scheduled
to meet next season but could meet in the
playoffs this year. The NFL rotating
schedule has the two teams slated to meet
in New Orleans in the 2009 regular season.
Shockey is a player who requires much
love. He is elated to be with a team that
desired him greatly, pursuing him over a
six month courtship: “I am excited to join
the Saints, as they have expressed interest
in me. The Saints have a lot of weapons,
starting with Drew Brees and I look forward to joining my teammates at training
camp. This will be a fun year,” said
Shockey in a release provided by the
Saints. His use of word “teammates” cannot be underestimated. If he embraces the
“team” part of the word, he will be
embraced by those he goes to battle with
warmly.
Is it a risk? Naturally, when you are
dealing with a trade, only time will tell.
The Giants may draft well with the two
selections they have obtained. Shockey
may blow up personally. He could get
injured. It is a fact that Shockey, with his
all-out, passionate style of playing whistle-to-whistle, throwing his body around,
has missed the end of the regular season
in each of the past five seasons with various injuries. Shockey angered Giants
coaches by refusing to take part in offseason workouts with the Giants, remaining in south Florida, instead. There is
always a risk.
To be successful, you must take risks
and act boldly and decisively. That is
what the Saints have done with Shockey.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One
man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Shockey needs to limit the trash element
of his persona to recognize the treasure of
the Super Bowl “Promised Land.”
Another notable Scripture is found in
Matthew 6:20 which speaks of “the treasures of Heaven.” When it comes to the
NFL, that “treasure” is the Lombardi
Trophy. Treasure, God, Promised Land.
Which team name captures these elements best? Who said that “Saints” was a
bad name to pick?★
Ken Trahan serves as sports director of
WGSO 990 AM/WGSO.com and is president and general manager of neworleans.com Sports. Trahan is the also the
general manager and chairman of the
board of the Saints Hall of Fame Museum
in the Louisiana Superdome, and runs the
Life Resources Sports Ministry.
17
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By SCOTT ZIMMERMAN
Hurricane watch – Plan for an evacuation by preparing your car.
Regulated by the Emergency Alert
System, a hurricane watch is issued for a
specified coastal area in which a hurricane or a hurricane-related hazard is a
possible threat within 36 hours. An evacuation can be conducted in a well-organized manner by heeding the advice of
local officials to leave early and taking
proper precautions for your vehicle.
Below are a few tips on how to best prepare your vehicle and stretch your fuel
before an evacuation.
Plan escape routes. Know the official
evacuation route(s). Have a map handy,
and tune into your local emergency
broadcast radio station.
Fill up your tank of gas early to help
prevent sudden overloads on fuel supply
in the area, and conserve the amount of
gas used for the next 36 hours by reducing the amount of daily driving. Combine
your errands into one outing to avoid
multiple trips. Avoid traveling during
rush hours if possible.
Replace dirty or clogged air filters.
Replacing a dirty or clogged air filter
with a clean one can improve gasoline
mileage by as much as 10 percent.
Make sure your tires are at the correct
pressure and not over or under inflated.
Keeping tires at the correct pressure can
improve your gasoline mileage by about
three percent.
Always use the recommended grade
of oil in your engine. Following your
manufacturer’s motor oil recommendation can improve gasoline mileage by one
to two percent. Look for motor oil that
says “Energy Conserving” on the API
performance symbol to ensure it contains
friction-reducing additives.
If time allows, visit your regular
mechanic for a check up of all key fluids
like engine oil, power steering, brake and
transmission fluids, windshield washer
solvent and antifreeze/coolant. This will
better ensure that long periods of travel
don’t result in car failure.
Hurricane warning – Leave early and
stretch your fuel.
Also regulated by the Emergency Alert
System, a hurricane warning is issued
when a hurricane with sustained winds of
74 mph or higher is expected to make
landfall in 24 hours or less. If the hurricane reaches Category 2 status, most
states will order a mandatory coastal
evacuation. You should complete your
storm preparations and leave when
directed. Consider some simple tips when
evacuating:
Leave early. If an evacuation is issued
for our area, leave as soon as possible.
Driving during the cooler parts of the day
will make the trip easier on your vehicle
and its riders. Reducing the amount of air
conditioning used can increase fuel efficiency by as much as two miles per gallon under certain speed and operating
conditions.
Fuel before you go. Fueling vehicles
before setting out on the road can help
eliminate unnecessary stops and reduce
traffic at stations along the original evacuation routes, allowing oil and gas companies more efficient re-supply of
impacted areas.
Stretch your fuel. Good driving habits
can increase your fuel efficiency significantly. Drive smoothly, avoiding heavy
acceleration or braking. Speeding, rapid
acceleration, and braking can lower your
gasoline mileage by five percent at lower
speeds and by 33 percent at higher highway speeds. Use cruise control on major
roads and in free-flowing traffic.
Maintaining a constant speed can
improve gasoline mileage. Gasoline
mileage usually decreases when driving
at speeds over 60 miles per hour. Avoid
idling. When you idle, you get zero miles
per gallon although your car is still using
fuel. It is better to turn your vehicle off in
situations where you are idling for an
extended amount of time.★
Scott Zimmerman is the owner of
Scotty’s Tire and Automotive, Inc., a family-owned and operated full-service tire
and automotive shop, located at 4200
Williams Boulevard in Kenner. Store
hours are 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on
Monday through Friday. Scotty’s website
is www.scottystireauto.com.
Free drop off for motor vehicle fluids and tires
Kenner residents that need to dispose of motor oil, anti-freeze, other
motor vehicle fluids, automotive or
marine batteries, and tires to be
recycled may do so for free at 400
David Drive, between West
Metairie Avenue and Airline
Highway. The David Drive drop-off
sight does not accept household
items or trash.
The David Drive site is currently
open Tuesday through Sunday from
9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. during
daylight-savings time. When on
standard time it is open from 10:00
a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
For any questions please call the
Jefferson Parish Department of
Environmental Affairs at 504-7314612.★
★
Health
Big relief from the Big Easy
By KEITH M. DARCY
We all remember our feelings
after Hurricane
Katrina. Many in our region have lost
much in the flood waters – personal possessions, homes, livelihoods, and perhaps most importantly, hope that everything will turn out OK. In the almost
three years since, our region and our residents have rebuilt much of the parts that
were lost, including our hope. In the
weeks and months after Hurricane
Katrina, all of us probably have memories of the kind gestures family, friends
and complete strangers from around the
country made to help get us on our feet.
Right now, those in the disaster-stricken areas in the Midwest have the same
look on their faces as we did three years
ago, and have the same challenges of
rebuilding their lives as we did. These
people contributed to New Orleans area
relief when we were in need. It is for this
reason that team members from East
Jefferson decided to help hospital
employees from two area hospitals in
Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, Iowa.
What started out as an idea to simply
reach out to two hospitals, Iowa
University Hospital and St. Luke’s
Hospital, to see how they were handling
the crisis, turned out to be a full-scale
relief effort. The local chapter of the
Emergency Room Nursing Association,
led by EJGH Emergency Room Director
Cheryl Carter and Clinical Coordinator
Kerry Jeanice, from competitor West
Jefferson Hospital, rallied help from
team members and employees from local
hospitals in our region, to collect money
and supplies for their counterparts in
Iowa.
In a matter of days, the group collected
over $6,000, a truck full of cleaning supplies and care packages and embarked on
an 18-hour road trip to personally deliver
everything that was collected. And,
because we are from southern Louisiana,
no trip would be complete without a
small celebration upon our arrival.
Companies such as Zatarains, Richard
Sausage, Chisesi Sausage, Hubig’s Pies,
Folgers, Bender Bread and Abita
Brewing Company immediately stepped
up with the needed cooking supplies.
As it turned out, it was a trip that the
EJGH staff and the staffs of the two Iowa
hospitals will never forget. As soon as
they arrived, our envoy saw the familiar
look of an area impacted by floodwaters.
They were used to giving “disaster
tours,” but not being led on one. Our
workers saw gutted houses, businesses
that were struggling to get running again
and met Iowa residents trying to figure
out what to do next. According to the
crew, “it was like looking in the mirror.”
What they also saw was happiness on
the faces of everyone they met. Those
people knew that if there was one group
of people who understood their plight, it
was a group from the New Orleans area.
They constantly thanked the crew for
thinking of them, for bringing needed
supplies, and for giving them a brief
respite from the mess they are cleaning
up. It was heartfelt on both sides with a
relationship beginning between hospitals
that will continue.
We all know the importance of money
and supplies in times of crisis. We also
know all too well that material possessions can come and go in an instant.
What remains, however, are the memories of kindness we give and receive from
people from across the street or across
the country.
As we have learned this from experience, we understand that it is our turn to
return that goodwill to others. Based on
the reaction from those in Cedar Rapids,
and Iowa City it would not surprise anyone if they are making the same trip to a
different disaster-stricken area in the
future to help someone else in need.
Hopefully, our memories will be long
enough to join them on their journey.★
Keith M. Darcey is a communications
specialist with East Jefferson General
Hospital located at 4200 Houma
Boulevard in Metairie. Darcey can be
reached
at
889-7110
or
at
[email protected]. East Jefferson
General Hospital, Louisiana’s first Nurse
Magnet hospital, is a publicly owned,
not-for-profit community hospital, providing care to the residents of the East
Bank of Jefferson Parish and surrounding communities.
Sign up for Kenner alerts!
In an effort to keep its residents informed of what is
happening, the city is now offering the opportunity for
everyone to receive email alerts. Information will be kept
completely confidential and will not be shared with
outside parties. Anyone wishing to receive these email alerts
should follow the directions at the website listed below.
www.ktv76.com/alerts.html
19
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By THOMAS R. LYONS, M.D.
Meniscus tears knee may be normal in patients with a
of the knee are a meniscus tear. A magnetic resonance
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common imaging (MRI) scan is often useful in
knee condition seen in patients of all diagnosing a meniscus tear.
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meniscus (inside aspect of knee) and the symptomatic meniscus tear and without
THE EXECUTIVE ACHIEVERS ASSOCIATION
lateral meniscus (outside aspect of knee). significant arthritic disease, knee
Call Randy Lovitt at 504-836-7136 for more information on becoming a member.
The medial meniscus is torn much more arthroscopy can provide excellent relief
commonly than the lateral meniscus. of complaints. In more sedentary individMeniscus tears as a result of trauma or uals with meniscus tears along with
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involved in sports. Meniscus tears can such as medication, joint injections, or in
also occur without trauma as a result of some cases joint replacement surgery
degenerative changes in older individu- may be appropriate. An evaluation by an
als; these degenerative meniscus tears orthopedic surgeon is necessary to propEdward Nikolaus, Jr.
often coexist with osteoarthritis.
erly diagnose and treat a knee meniscus
Owner
Patients with a meniscus tear may tear.★
present with a history of twisting injury
to the knee or with atraumatic gradual
Thomas R. Lyons M.D. is a board ceronset of symptoms localized to one side tified orthopedic surgeon practicing at
of the knee. Patients may complain of the Orthopedic Center for Sports
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Our
Pontchartrain Center, the state of is
Louisiana and the city of Kenner band- Pontchartrain Center with its versatility
ed together to produce yet another suc- and our recreation department’s facilicessful AAU girls basketball champi- ties and gyms in Kenner are of the best.
onship tournament. I am sure some of
Rounding out our “village” is the
you saw the kids shopping in the mall, community itself, with a staff having
eating at restaurants and driving all expertise and knowledge in all aspects
over. We welcomed them, showed them of these types of sporting events, and
a good time, fed them well and guess our wealth of enthusiastic volunteers
what...they are coming back again! In we can call upon if needed. Our event
June and July of 2009 our entire city workers and the staffs of the
will once again feel the impact of AAU Pontchartrain Center and the recreation
girls basketball during a normally slow department all have a “can do” attitude
which makes Kenner a successful
business season.
It takes a village, so to speak, to host host.★
sporting events and to make them successful. One important item is location,
Sharon Solomon is the marketing
and it helps that we are close to our air- director for the Kenner Convention and
port. Another important element in Visitors Bureau, located at 2100 Third
booking the AAU events is that we are Street in Rivertown. Sharon Solomon
able to house attendees at affordable can be reached at 464-9494, via email
rates while offering fun entertainment at [email protected] or at www.kenvenues such as theatres and many dif- nercvb.com.
★
21
Latin American News
A festival to remember
By RAFAEL E. SADDY
Santo Domingo
de Guzmán is
considered to be
the patron saint of Nicaragua. In
Managua, Nicaragua, on August 1, the
saint’s tiny statue is taken from the hills
to the Church of Santo Domingo in an
elaborate procession where the statue
remains until August 10 when again a
multitude of people carry him back to
his church in Las Sierritas de Santo
Domingo.
This
month
the
Asociación
Nicaragüense de Louisiana (ANDELA)
will present the eighth annual el “Tope
de Santo Domingo,” a festival to
remember Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
The event will be held on Saturday,
August 9, from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
at the Kenner Heritage Park, 303
Williams Boulevard. Highlights this
year will include a representation of
Saint Domingo’s arrival preceded by a
parade that enters the park dancing to
the rhythms of folkloric music and featuring popular characters that are typically-Nicaraguan,
such
as
the
“Gigantona,” a “gigantic” woman that
dances to the sound of drums, the
“Cabezón,” her short and big-headed
dance partner, and the life-size bull and
cows who all dance around the saint as
he parades through the park. Young
women dressed in folkloric costumes
and representing the different regions in
Nicaragua also accompany the colorful
parade. Later on, there is a contest to
select the “India Bonita,” the young girl
who best represents her region in
Nicaragua.
The festival is followed by a danceparty featuring a popular local musician,
who will be playing folk, salsa and
Latin-dance music for the audience.
Typical Nicaraguan dishes and drinks
will be served.
Net proceeds from donations and
sponsorships will be used for the annual
purchase of Christmas toys for disadvantaged children in Nicaragua.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience first-hand the culture, food, music,
sights and sounds from our Central
American neighbor. All the activities
will take place in Kenner’s nationally
recognized historical Rivertown. For
information call 466-1483, 400-0258 or
464-4619.
Community announcements and
events
COSMAPA: Fiestas Agostina, August
3 from at noon at Iglesia Episcopal,
3700 Canal Street. For information call
616-4967.
Hablemos Claro KTV-76: Hispanic
TV program with topics of interest to
the community, every Wednesday at
9:00 p.m. and Sunday at 8:00 p.m.
Kenner Hispanic Resource Center:
August 1 through 31, numerous events
are being offered such as The Pro Bono
Project, free legal consultation for the
Hispanic community on civil matters on
Saturday August 9. For information call
469-2571.
Latin American Civic Association of
Louisiana (LACAL): August 1 general
meeting and Hispanic heritage month
preparation. For info call 464-4619.
The Latino Forum: August 22 general
meeting at the American Cancer Society
Building on River Road. For information call 310-6880.
Unidad Hispanoamericana: August
21 general meeting and planning of
Central America Independence outing.
For organization information call 7806041 or 834-2020.
I leave you with the thought for the
month: “Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who’ll never
find out!” God Bless.★
Rafael E. Saddy is president of the
Latin American Civic Association of
Louisiana (LACAL). Email Saddy at
[email protected].
Correspondence for LACAL can be sent
to P.O. Box 640284, Kenner, LA 700640284.
Clerk of Kenner Council
Succeeding Hall as executive assistant
to Muniz is Valerie Waguespack.
Sheeren, who came to work at City
Hall in 1980, said that for a while at least,
she will move to Florida and live the life
of a new retiree. “I am going to lie on the
beach,” she said. “I will drink my share of
margaritas and martinis. I will sleep late,
watch the TV shows I have been too busy
to watch and go on all-day shopping
jaunts. It may be that after a certain
amount of that, I will be totally bored and
will come back to Kenner looking for a
job. But, for the moment, I am going to
experience all the fantasies that I ever had
about retirement.”
Sheeren said her experience at City
Hall was wonderful and she leaves with
great respect for the mayors, council
members and council staffers she’s
worked with.
“I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful
people who really cared about doing the
right thing for the city of Kenner,” she
said. “All of them contributed to Kenner
being a great city.”
Hall inherits a staff of 10. “Since my
appointment in June, we’ve spent hundreds of hours trying to transfer
Michelle’s knowledge into my brain,”
says Hall. “Fortunately, I’ve got a great
staff to back me up. They really know
their stuff. I’m thrilled to be the clerk of
the Council but for the next few months,
I will definitely be in learner mode.”★
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Know What Hurricane
WATCH and WARNING Mean
WATCH: Hurricane conditions are
possible in the specified area of the WATCH, usually within 36 hours.
WARNING: Hurricane conditions are expected in the
specified area of the WARNING, usually within 24 hours.
By DAN DORMADY
Home security systems
are only as strong as their
weakest link. Here are a few
helpful tips to help you keep
your home and your valuables secure.
An important part of home security is making your
home look occupied at all times. Most thieves are
opportunistic. They come into a neighborhood and
look for houses that seem undefended and unoccupied. One big clue that you are out of town is if your
mail or newspapers are piling up. Never allow newspapers to accumulate in the front yard. Interior lights
are also important in making a home look occupied
just as it would if the home were occupied. The easiest way to do this is with timers. Leaving a car in the
garage or driveway can also be a deterrent. If you are
going on a trip and not leaving a car at home, you
might want to make arrangements with the next door
neighbor to park one of their cars in your driveway
while you are away.
Another important home security measure
involves making it difficult to get near the home.
This is most commonly accomplished by a high wall
or fence. In many parts of the world, this is the primary home security tactic, but it does suffer from
some shortcomings. Generally, it is easier to sneak
undetected over or under a wall or fence than it is to
force entry into a home. Yet perimeter defenses often
give occupants of the home a false sense of security
that may lead them to get sloppy about locking doors
and windows. For this reason, perimeter defenses are
most effective when they are either very difficult to
penetrate or are augmented by cameras and/or
motion detectors.
Be sure all entrances are well lit. For most homes,
perimeter defenses like walls and fences are of little
use. Most people assume that the next line of defense
is doors and windows, but there is something that
comes first. It’s based on the simple fact that thieves
want to do their work where no one can see them.
This means you want to make sure the outside of
your home is well lit – especially at any potential
points of entry. An effective solution is motion
detector lights. These inexpensive devices can be set
up to turn on whenever something moves near it.
Most home security measures are concentrated on
doors. With doors, the two main issues are structural
integrity and locks. Recommended for exterior
doors, deadbolt locks are substantial locks that lock
the door into the frame. Sliding glass doors present a
special challenge. Most are vulnerable to breakage.
The simplest security enhancement is to place a
metal bar or broom handle in the inside floor track.
Some older sliding doors can simply be lifted out of
their tracks. There are screws at the top and bottom
of the inside of the door that control how it sits in the
track. Adjust these so that the door cannot be lifted
so high that the bottom comes free from the track.
Every front door should be equipped with a peephole. This is a very inexpensive, easy to install
device that allows you to check out a visitor before
you open the door.
Secure your home’s windows. While your home
may only have two or three doors, it may have a
dozen or more windows. Burglars know that if you
systematically check all the windows in a house,
there is a good chance that at least one will remain
unlocked. Most standard window locks are very simple to jimmy or force. Heavier locks will improve
your home security quite a bit. Another simple, inexpensive tactic that is effective for double hung windows (those with two sliding panels that go up and
down or side to side) is window pins. These are specially made pins, or large nails can easily be used.
Remember, exterior doors and windows are not
the only access points to most homes. Many thefts
take place through garages. Besides having valuable
items stolen from the garage, the door that goes from
the garage to the house is often unsecured or not substantial enough to stop a burglar. Check also to see if
skylights, crawl spaces, attic vents, and other openings may provide burglars with unrestricted access
to your home.
Consider installing an alarm system. Alarm systems offer little in the way of physical obstacles to
thieves. Instead they offer an important psychological one. In a neighborhood with an efficient police
force, the alarm substantially increases the odds that
the thief will get caught. Even in areas where police
response times are slow, the noise and attention of an
alarm may well dissuade the burglar from finishing
his mission. The cost of alarm systems varies widely, but a burglar easily can disable some of the simpler, less expensive detection devices. The more
complex and unfamiliar the array of devices, the
more likely the burglar is to trigger the alarm or give
up trying to disable it. Response times to alarms are
driven by several factors. First is the effectiveness of
the monitoring service you’re using. When considering a monitoring service, get the names of people
who have had the opportunity to observe response
times in the past. The second factor is the protocol
you request that the monitoring service use. Who do
you have them call in what order? In some cases,
you might do better to alert a helpful neighbor than
to alert an unresponsive police force.
Finally, keep a record of your valuables. Most area
police departments encourage homeowners to etch
their social security number on the metal surfaces of
valuables that are prone to theft. When police come
across marked stolen merchandise, they can easily
find the true owner and return it. Photographs of
especially valuable items like artwork and antiques
can help police recover goods.★
Dan Dormady, P.E. is a licensed professional
engineer and licensed home inspector and the president of Criterium-Dormady Engineers, a locally
owned consulting engineering firm specializing in
residential and commercial building inspection services. Dormady can be reached at 456-6999, P.O. Box
113565 Metairie, LA 70011-3565, or at [email protected]. Criterium-Dormady Engineers’
website is www.criterium-dormady.com.
Call for Advertising InfoTODAY!
Kenner St★r • 468-9125
★
23
Gardening
August horticulture hints
By LYNNE DIMM
The last place
anyone wants to
be in this August
heat is outside in the garden. It might be
a good time to consider an easy and fast
way to keep your plant investments
cool by investigating the possibilities of
installing a watering system. Watering
systems are affordable, efficient and
save you time. You won’t have to go in
the heat to move hoses and sprinklers
around and timers turn them on automatically. Another advantage is that
watering systems reduce the stress heat
causes to plants by keeping them cool,
which in turn helps them feed and grow
better.
Now is the time to plant okra, pepper,
beans and southern peas from seeds.
Plant your winter tomato plants at the
end of August if you want to have fresh
beautiful
tomatoes
on
your
Thanksgiving table in November. Find
a place in full sun where you did not
plant spring tomatoes so the soil can
sustain the winter plants.
August is the time to cut back roses in
order to have a fall flowering. Cut
hybrid tea roses to 12 inches tall and
about the same size wide for the spreading kind of roses. Feed each bush a
half-cup of rose food if you want good
strong blooms in fall, but bear in mind
that spring roses are always prettier
than fall roses.
While you are cool inside avoiding
the hot weather, it is a good time to plan
your fall vegetable garden and what
colorful plants you want for winter. If
you are rearranging your garden,
remember that shrubs should only be
moved in cooler weather. Sometimes
shrubs become too large for the area
and, since they do not bear fruit or
flowers, it might be time to dig them up
and plant something new and colorful
for the fall and the holidays.
Have you seen the new mums that are
★
yellow on one side and orange on the
other? They are quite attractive. Why
don’t you consider some?
Try to keep cool and have fun planning a colorful fall garden.★
Lynne Dimm, owner of Lynne Dimm’s
Nursery, LLC, located at 27 West 27th
Street, is a registered and licensed
Louisiana horticulturist and landscape
contractor, is a wholesale grower of
bedding plants and has over 30 years
experience in the industry. Lynne Dimm
can be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling 4685467.
Community
Sit–N Listen songfest benefit to be held by KPBA
The Kenner Professional Business
Association will present a Sit-N-Listen
songfest on Saturday, August 16, 2008
at Rivertown’s Exhibition Hall on
Williams Boulevard in Kenner. The
event will benefit the Kenner Police
Benevolent Fund and The Metropolitan
Center for Women and Children.
Tickets are $50 per person and
include beer and wine beverages.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
“A Sit-N-Listen is different from listening to a band,” said Ann Branigan,
KPBA Ways and Means Co-chair.
“This is an opportunity to hear from
the creators of hit songs, where they
came from, what they mean and how
they got cut. It is a quiet, intimate
evening with true artists.”
The Sit-N-Listen songfest features
Wynn Varble, Steve Williams, Thom
Shepherd and Amanda Shaw.
Varble’s songs have been recorded
by a range of artists including Garth
Brooks, Kelli Pickler, Lee Ann
Womack, Brad Paisley, Darryl Worley,
Montgomery Gentry, Jason Sellers,
Gary Allan, Trace Adkins, Clint
Daniels, Kevin Denney, Tracy Byrd,
The Kinley’s, Chris LeDoux, Danni
Leigh, Mark Chesnutt, Jewel and
Sammy Kershaw. His current chart
topper is “Waiting on a Woman” by
Brad Paisley. Varble has had numerous
other cuts and singles including the
number one song “Have You
Forgotten,” Kelli Pickler’s “Things
That Never Cross a Man’s Mind” and
“Cadillac Tears.”
Steve Williams has toured with such
acts as Kenny Chesney, Tanya Tucker,
Buddy Jewell, Deborah Allen and
District attorney, judges elected with out
opposition
District Attorney Paul Connick
and 13 sitting judges on the TwentyFourth Judicial District Court bench
were re-elected without opposition
after qualifying closed on July 11.
Former
State
Representative
Glenn Ansardi was elected unopposed to fill the vacancy in Division
“K,” one of two Kenner judicial districts, created by the upcoming
retirement of Judge Kernan “Skip”
Hand. ★
Citywide Day of Prayer and Fasting
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Noon – 6:00 p.m.
Sherrie Austin playing guitar, piano
and adding vocals. His songs have
been recorded by artists Craig Morgan,
Steve Holy, Buddy Jewell, Blake
Shelton, Blue County, Trick Pony and
more. Steve also has a number one
song, “Redneck Yacht Club.”
Thom Shepherd wrote the number
one hit song, “Riding with Private
Malone,” appearing in the video playing the title role. The song was nominated for a Country Music Television’s
Flameworthy Award and is one of
CMT’s forty greatest road songs. It
was also voted “The Song You Wish
You Had Written” by the members of
the Nashville Songwriters Association.
Shepherd has been on seven tours for
Armed Forces Entertainment visiting
United States troops. Shepherd’s songs
have been recorded by Montgomery
Gentry, Buddy Jewel, Craig Morgan,
David Ball, Kevin Fowler, Pam Tillis,
George Jones, Trailer Choir, Joe
Nichols, Blake Shelton, Neil McCoy,
George Canyon, Waylon Thibodeaux,
Cledus T. Judd and Ronnie Bowman.
Amanda Shaw, 17-year-old New
Orleans based singer, Cajun-fiddler,
songwriter and actress will also appear.
Shaw opened for country superstars
Taylor Swift, Charlie Daniels and
Cyndi Lauper. She starred in the IMAX
film, “Hurricane on the Bayou,” two
Disney movies and has recorded a top
ten CD.
To purchase tickets contact Ann
Branigan at the Chateau Boulevard
branch of Capital One Bank, visit the
Bohannan Law Firm at 1800 Williams
Boulevard or call 962-3930 or 4151439.★
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24
★
People
Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump (I hate shopping carts!)
By ED CLANCY
In the early
1980s, I did a television piece on
how grocery carts
conspire against us. The video essay
opened with my driving into a parking
space only to find it occupied by three
carts. Of course, I didn’t see them in
time and smashed right into them. The
next hurdle was finding a cart that actually worked. Some of them were rusted,
some were bent out of shape (from being
hit by unsuspecting parkers no doubt),
and some had missing parts. But the
majority of the problem carts had bad
wheels that made the carts shudder and
shake and wobble while being pushed
down a supermarket aisle. Ka-thump,
Ka-thump, Ka-thump!
All of the above is a prelude to my
most recent shopping cart saga. It happened last month at the Wal-Mart food
store on Williams in Kenner. Since I am
a veteran of the shopping cart wars, I
decided that this time I would use a little
military strategy. I picked a cart from the
parking lot, as opposed to the carts
which have been lined up in front of the
store by the cart wranglers. (Cart wranglers are those employees who are burdened with the chore of rounding up
stray carts and pushing a big long choochoo train of them to the main entrance
of the store. You may have noticed that
some stores have a small engine that
actually pushes the line of carts, rather
like a tug boat – which, as you know,
does not tug barges at all, but pushes
them.)
The reason I pick my cart from the lot
instead of the nice, neat line in front of
the store is that my brain has figured out
there’s a good chance the ones in the lot
are in reasonably good shape, having
been used not too long ago by satisfied
shoppers. Yes, there are bad carts in the
parking lot, but I have my choice of free
range shopping carts. The cart at the end
of the wrangler line might or might not
be in good working order. If that one
wobbles, I would have to pick the next
one, and the next and the next until I
K
ENNER KALENDAR
found one that would not veer to the
right or the left, or would not have the
dreaded “bad wheel.” (Ka-thump, Kathump, Ka-thump.) And, more often than
not, my chosen cart in the line gets tangled with the cart ahead of it, and I spend
a goodly amount of time and cursing
getting the thing free.
So, on this particular night, I found a
nice new one in the lot and wheeled it
inside to do my shopping. It drove
exceptionally well, veering neither to the
left nor the right, but heading straight
down the aisle, making smooth turns
when necessary. As I needed meat, I
pushed my miracle cart all the way to the
back of the store. While looking for
cheap beef, I engaged a lady employee
in a discussion of meat quality and
prices. In the course of the chat, she
directed me to other products at that end
of the store, at one point walking me past
several aisles in search of some special
salmon I was looking for. When we
returned to my empty cart, I noticed
something was missing: my empty cart.
I hadn’t even started shopping and the
cart was stolen. All right, I’ve done the
same thing, myself, taking an empty cart
that no one seemed to be using because I
had forgotten to get one at the entrance.
But this was different. This was a good
cart. It had four good wheels. I had chosen it especially from all the carts in the
parking lot. It was my cart!
Bound and determined not to go all the
way to the parking lot to find a cart, I
looked through the double doors of the
meat department storage area and spotted a line of three or four carts just sitting there. I asked a meat worker if I
could use one and he said, “By all
means.” I took one of the carts from the
line, but only after having to untangle it.
When it broke free, I smiled a smile of
victory and drove it out of the storage
area into the store to begin my shopping.
As I did so: Ka-thump, Ka-thump, Kathump.★
Ed Clancy can be reached via email at
[email protected].
August 2008
For more information call Leisure Service - 468-7268 or 468-7284
or visit City of Kenner Website: www.kenner.la.us
KENNER PARKS & RECREATION LEISURE SERVICES REGISTRATION
1
DANCE & GYMNASTICS ONLY AUGUST 16, 2008
Kenner Residents 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Non-Kenner Residents Noon-2:00 p.m.
All other Leisure Service Programs August 18, 2008 from 9:15 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
(After August 18th-registration will be Monday-Friday 9:15 a.m.-5:45 p.m.)
(FOR MORE INFO. 468-7268 OR 468-7284)
4
3
National Night Out Against Crime
Kick Off Party
Treasure Chest Casino
4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
(For info. KPD @ 7122294)
5
Rotary Club of New Orleans
International Airport
12:00 Noon @ Treasure Chest
Casino Glass Room (For info.
Charles Bryan 468-5413)
Zoning Adjustment Meeting in 6
The Council Chamber for 6:00 p.m.
“Bottom Line Luncheon”
Piccadilly Cafeteria 12:00 Noon
(For info. Barry Haindel 450-8198)
University Park Lions Club Meeting at
Kenner City Park Pavillion Corner of
Vintage & Loyola for 7:15 p.m.
(For info. 466-2033)
10
11
Rotary Club of New
Orleans International Airport
12:00 Noon @ Treasure Chest
Casino Glass Room(For info.
Charles Bryan 468-5413)
17
Rotary Club of New
Orleans International
Airport 12:00 Noon
@ Treasure Chest Casino Glass
Room(For info. Charles Bryan
468-5413)
18
KPRD Leisure Service
Program Registration Begins
9:15 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
at 2508 20th St
(For info. 468-7268)
24
31
25
Rotary Club of New Orleans
International Airport 12:00 Noon
@ Treasure Chest Casino
Glass Room
(For info. Charles Bryan
468-5413)
KPRD Line Dance, Adv. Line Dance &
Couple Dance Session 1 Begins
(For info. 468-7268)
13
12
KPRD Dance & Gymnastics
Returning Students
Registration Only
at 2508 20th St.
5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
(For more info. 468-7268)
19
Piccadilly Cafeteria-12:00 Noon
(For info. Barry Haindel 450-8198)
20
University Park Lions Club Meeting at
Kenner City Park Pavillion Corner of
Vintage & Loyola for 7:15 p.m.
(For info. 466-2033)
Kenner Lions Club Meeting for
7:00 p.m. at 2001 18th St.
(For Info & Reservations 464-1511)
(For info. Barry Haindel
450-8198)
26
Planning & Zoning Meeting
in The Council Chamber of
City Hall for 6:00 p.m.
27
(For info. Barry Haindel
450-8198)
Kenner Central Lions Club Meeting
for 8:00 p.m. @ 2114 Kenner Ave.
(For info. John Maher 466-8730)
Brake Tag ................................. 468-4075
Children’s Castle ...................... 468-7231
2
City Park Pavillion .................... 468-6638
Children’s Castle:
Glen Ghiradi presents
“Must See Magic”
”(For info. 468-7231 Ext. 220)
Clerk of Court ........................... 468-7277
Civil Service ............................. 468-7219
Code Enforcement ................... 468-6607
Community Development ........ 468-7588
Community Services ................ 468-7293
Complaints ............................... 468-4040
Council on Aging ...................... 468-7513
City of Kenner Council 7
Meeting in the Council Chamber
of City Hall for 5:00 p.m.
Council Office ........................... 468-7245
8
9
Children’s Castle:Porta Puppet Players
present “Dorothy’s Trek to Oz!”
(For info. 468-7231 Ext. 220)
Kenner Rotary Meeting @
Trauth’s (For info. 466-6785)
Cultural/Theatre ....................... 468-7221
Food Bank ............................... 468-7220
Freeport Science Center .......... 468-7231
Finance .................................... 468-4052
Cannes Brulee Native American Village:
Scarlett & John Darden’s Split River Fine Art Gallery ........................ 468-7231
Cane Baskets
Handicap Services ................... 468-7204
(For info. 468-7231)
Kiwanis Club of N. Kenner
Radisson Hotel @ Williams & Vets.
@ 7:00 a.m.(For info. 469-5352)
Humane Department ............... 468-7503
Insurance Department ............. 468-7233
14
Kiwanis Club of N. Kenner at
Radisson Hotel @ Williams &
Vets. 7:00 a.m. (For info. 469-5352)
15
Kenner Rotary Meeting @
Trauth’s (For info. 466-6785)
City of Kenner Council
Meeting in the Council
Chamber of City Hall 5:00 p.m.
21
22
Kenner VFW Post #7732 at 2114 Kenner
Ave. for 7:00 p.m.(For info. 466-0368)
7:00 a.m.(For info. 469-5352)
Louisiana Wildlife Museum ...... 468-7231
Mardi Gras Museum ................ 468-7231
23
The Calliope Puppets present
“Puss ‘N Boots”
(For info. 468-7231 Ext. 220)
Cannes Brulee Native
American Village: Thomas
Colvin’s Palmetto and
River Cane Baskets
(For info. 468-7231)
7:00 a.m.(For info. 469-5352)
Kenner Rotary Meeting
@Trauth’s (For info. 466-6785)
16
Sit-N-Listen Songfest-Benefit for the KPD
Benevolent Fund & Metro Center For
Women & Children-Tickets $50.00
(Call 962-3930 or 415-1439)
Kenner Rotary Meeting
@Trauth’s (For info. 466-6785)
28
Leisure Services ...................... 468-7268
Children’s Castle:Phillip Melancon
presents “Melon Songs”
(For info. 468-7231 Ext. 220)
KPRD Registration for
Dance & Gymnastics begins
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.Kenner Residents
Noon-2:00 p.m. Non-Kenner Residents
Kenner Central Lions Club
Meeting for 8:00 p.m.
KPRD Dance & Gymnastics
@ 2114 Kenner Ave
Returning Students Registration Only
(For info. John Maher 466-8730)
at 2508 20th St.
5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
KPBA Meeting & Luncheon
at Radisson N.O. Hotel in Kenner
at 2150 Veterans Blvd..
(For Info. & Reservations
962-3930)
CITY HALL ............................... 468-7200
Mayor’s Office .......................... 468-7240
Museum Welcome Center ....... 468-7231
Museum Administration ........... 468-7231
Native American Village ........... 468-7231
Personnel Department ............. 468-7207
Planning Department ............... 468-7280
Police Department ................... 712-2200
Pontchartrain Center ................ 465-9985
Public Works Department ........ 468-7515
Purchasing Department ........... 468-7261
Recreation Department ............ 468-7211
Saints Hall of Fame Museum ... 468-7231
Science Complex ..................... 468-7231
Space Station Kenner .............. 468-7231
Times Picayune ....................... 467-1726
Toy Train Museum ................... 468-7231
29
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NO SHOWS DUE TO
HOLIDAY WEEKEND
(For info. 468-7231 Ext. 220)
Traffic & Engineering ............... 468-4007
Wastewater Operations ........... 468-7292
For FIRE 467-2211
Police and Emergencies
Dial 911 or 712-2222
Red Cross 833-8565
★
Faithwalk
Forgiveness
By JOEY CLEVELAND
“And forgive us
the wrong we
have done as we
forgive those who
wrong us.” Matthew 6:12
It’s so much easier for me to excuse my
own faults and sins than it is to excuse
those people who I feel have deliberately
hurt me, but “The Lord’s Prayer” is pretty clear. We will be forgiven our offenses
only to the degree that we forgive others.
Recently, I visited a friend who spoke
to me about her need to forgive someone
who’s mostly non-responsive due to a
stroke and is on the verge of death. Time
is running out for this elderly relative
who has no idea that she needs to apologize to my friend for decades of emotional abuse. Volumes have been written
on the topic of forgiveness, and I’d like
to share a few thoughts on this subject.
It’s been wisely said that “unforgiveness” is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die. Sadly,
there are atrocities committed by man
against man which are sinful, abhorrent
and can destroy lives on many levels.
And, although we may never forget what
has been done to us unfairly and undeservedly, our Christian faith warns us
that unforgiveness and bitterness can
destroy us from within like a cancer.
But what about those who have abused
and used us, humiliated us, ruined our
reputations, taken advantage of us, abandoned us, stolen our jobs or even killed
our loved ones? Are we just to turn the
other cheek? Shouldn’t we defend ourselves? Shouldn’t we retaliate?
The Bible issues a strong admonition
about retaliation which challenges me to
the core: “You have heard the commandment, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a
tooth.’ But what I say to you is: offer no
resistance to injury. When a person
strikes you on the right cheek, turn and
offer him the other.” Matthew 5:38
I really believe that God is speaking
here to those who are willing and able to
be a Christian witness in the world. God
does not want children or wounded,
defenseless people to be trampled and
victimized by anyone, and He needs for
us all to defend the defenseless; however,
the Bible is clear: “In a word, you must
be made perfect as your heavenly Father
is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
A lofty and noble ideal to be sure.
In my own life, I have been profoundly challenged to forgive those whom I
feel were responsible for my husband’s
unjust indictment and two and one-half
year incarceration. Our attorneys repeatedly told us not to take the investigation
personally; however, it was impossible
not to take it personally as we drove Carl
to Saufley Field in Pensacola, Florida,
the Christmas of 1997. In struggling with
forgiveness, I have come to understand
that forgiveness is, first of all, an act of
the will in that we must first want to forgive and then we must ask God for His
grace to forgive. The feeling that all is
forgiven may never come, but that is
irrelevant. What pleases God and will be
rewarded is our wanting to forgive and
our asking for His grace to do it because
the grace to forgive is purely gift, and
will be given in God’s time, not necessarily ours.
In following my own advice, I have
asked God to help me forgive those men
and women whom I feel directly caused
our family so much pain, and I can honestly tell you that there is a sense of inner
peace that has come to replace the deep
hurt I once felt. For that I am very grateful.
Carl used to say that forgiveness is in
our own self interest, and I believe he
was right. If there’s someone in your life
that you haven’t forgiven, whether they
deserve it or not, please understand that
unforgiveness keeps you bound to that
person. Isn’t it time to set yourself free
and stop swallowing the poison? I pray
that it is.★
Joey Cleveland is the widow of Carl
Cleveland, the Kenner Star Faithwalk
columnist from 1998 until his death July
2006. Joey Cleveland can be reached via
email at [email protected].★
MUSEUM HOURS: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – Tuesday - Saturday
Children’s Castle
501 Williams Blvd. • 468-7231 #220
All performances are on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m.
Hot Days of August
AUGUST 2 – GLEN GHIRARDI
Magical Entertainer
returns to the Castle with
“MUST-SEE MAGIC”
AUGUST 9 – PORTA PUPPET PLAYERS
pr e se nt
“DOROTHY’S TREK TO OZ!”
meet Dorothy, the Wizard, Toto & more
AUGUST 16 – PHILIP MELANCON
cooling off at the Castle with
“MELON SONGS”
AUGUST 23 – THE CALLIOPE PUPPETS
presenting “PUSS ‘N BOOTS”
AUGUST 30 – CASTLE CLOSED
Enjoy the Labor Day weekend
•
Cannes Brulee Native American Museum
Macy’s
latest in fashion and trend merchandise in
apparel and accessories for men, women
and children along with select products
for the home.
The human resource center for hiring in
Kenner is located at Macy’s in The
Esplanade mall, second floor, 1401 West
Esplanade Avenue, 461-4800, Monday
CHILDREN’S CASTLE • CANNES BRULEE NATIVE AMERICAN MUSEUM
MARDI GRAS MUSEUM • SCIENCE CENTER
OBSERVATORY • HERITAGE PARK
PLANETARIUM AND MEGADOME CINEMA • THE TRAIN MUSEUM
and Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.,
Wednesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. The human resource centers
in Metairie are located at 3500 North
Causeway, 484-4600, and 3301 Veterans
Memorial Boulevard, Suite 202, 4844600. Applications may also be submitted
online at www.macysjobs.com.★
KENNER ST★R
415 Williams Blvd. • 468-7231 #220
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – Tuesday-Saturday
A UG US T 9 – SC A R L E T T A ND J O H N D A R D E N, C H I T I M A C H A
Split river cane baskets
Scarlett and John will share their tribe’s history as they demonstrate its
traditional split river cane basketry.
AU GU ST 2 3 – TH O MAS COLVIN , CH O CTAW
Palmetto and river cane baskets
Tom will demonstrate the making of palmetto and river cane
baskets in the Choctaw style.
Schedule subject to change without notice.
www.rivertownkenner.com
25
26
★
Health
Is your blood pressure under control?
By SMITA PATEL, M.D.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 65 million people in the United States. It is sometimes known as the “silent killer” because it
can damage one’s organs for years before
actual symptoms develop. This is why
physicians have to aggressively treat this
disease, and patients have to do their part to
maintain blood pressure in the normal range
Join Us For An Event—
We Invite Your Membership.
KENNER
Professional Business
Association
Founded in 1985
A Community Based
Networking Organization
For Men and Women
THE KENNER PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION’S (KPBA)
MEETING WILL BE HELD
NEW LOCATION
RADISSON HOTEL
2150 Veterans Boulevard in Kenner
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2008
Call 962-3930 to make luncheon reservations
Networking begins at 11:30 a.m. • Lunch at noon.
www.kpba.biz
Info: 962-3930
KENNER ORTHOPEDIC & SPORTS THERAPY
3921 WILLIAMS BLVD.
KENNER, LA 70065
504-443-5152
KENNER’S ONLY CHOICE FOR ORTHOPEDIC PHYSICAL THERAPY
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!!!!
Se habla Español
METAIRIE & WESTBANK LOCATIONS
to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes
and kidney disease.
Blood pressure is determined by the
amount of blood our heart pumps and the
amount of resistance to blood flow in your
arteries. As the arteries become narrower
through cholesterol plaques or calcified
deposits, your blood pressure becomes higher over time. So it is possible to reduce the
risk of developing high blood pressure
through a commitment of eating a well balanced diet, exercise, and stress management.
Most people with high blood pressure do not
have symptoms, so it is very important to
have your blood pressure checked routinely.
The most common type of high blood
pressure is called “essential” or “primary”
hypertension. This accounts for 90 to 95 percent of patients with high blood pressure.
The other five to 10 percent of patients have
“secondary” hypertension, which is high
blood pressure caused by underlying medical problems such as kidney or adrenal
gland problems or the effects of certain medications such as birth control pills, steroids
taken over a long period of time or even over
the counter decongestants. Please note that
infrequent use of a decongestant is not going
to cause you to develop high blood pressure.
There are risk factors such as getting
older, our race (African-Americans have a
higher risk of developing high blood pressure at an earlier age) and family history that
we cannot control. But there are definitely
factors we can control. The most important
factor is our weight. Your goal should be to
stay within your body mass index (BMI) for
your height and weight. Most physician
offices are checking this on annual visits. If
is not, request it. This is very important
because as you increase the amount of fat in
your body, the circulatory system tries to
increase the volume of blood. There are
many success stories of patients who were
obese and on multiple high blood pressure
medications and were able to eliminate
medications because they lost weight and
achieved their BMI goal.
Inactivity, tobacco use, excessive alcohol
use and stress are factors that contribute to
high blood pressure. To increase your activity, it is not necessary that you do 45 minutes
of intense exercise daily. Even simple
things, like using the stairs at work rather
than the elevator, dividing your lunchtime
by eating and then taking a fast brisk walk,
or parking the car at the end of the parking
lot to take a long walk to and from the shopping center can increase your activity and
make a difference. Regulating your sleep
schedule is also important. When you try to
discipline yourself in these efforts, the
reward of better health is beneficial and a
step in the right direction.
The physician and the patient have to
work together very aggressively in achieving a blood pressure goal. Your physician
should expect you have a blood pressure
goal of 120/75 or less. If you have high
blood pressure it usually takes two or more
medicines to control it. Taking medications
will prove very beneficial to your heart,
brain and kidneys. Regardless of whether
you live at home, are in a hospital or nursing
home you, personally, have to maintain the
blood pressure goals that are set. Normal
blood pressure is 120/76 or less with 115/75
looming as a new goal.
If you get a reading that is higher than the
normal range, let your doctor know. If it
remains above the normal range, lifestyle
changes are usually tried but more than likely you will need medication. Most of the
time finding the right combination and
dosage is a matter of trial and error and can
only be achieved with a committed team
approach with the physician and patient. The
patient’s compliance and commitment is
necessary to achieve this goal. If you can’t
afford the medication the doctor has prescribed, please call your doctor. There could
be an alternative generic drug that is less
expensive. Today, all classes of blood pressure medications have generics, and programs exist at some stores whereby a 30 day
generic supply can cost around $4, which is
very affordable. Discuss your financial situation with your doctor so he can prescribe
medications you can afford. Don’t let a cost
issue stop you from taking blood pressure
medication.
Even though you are taking blood pressure medication, lifestyle changes can help
you control and prevent high blood pressure,
too. Eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat dairy foods
will improve your situation. Although 2400
milligrams of sodium a day is the current
limit for otherwise healthy adults, it is better
to aim for 1500 milligrams a day. Try to get
enough potassium from bananas and other
fruits. Look into following the Dietary
Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)
diet. It is important to maintain your optimal
weight, because even losing a few pounds
will help lower your blood pressure.
Increasing physical activity, limiting alcohol, reducing stress and not smoking are
extremely important in lowering high blood
pressure. Relaxation techniques such as
slow, deep breathing, yoga or tai chi, for
even 10 to 15 minutes a day can also be
helpful.
If you want to lower your blood pressure,
remember to take your medications properly, schedule regular doctor visits and adopt a
healthy lifestyle.★
Smita Patel, M.D. is the section head of
Northshore Hospital Medicine at Ochsner
Health System. Dr. Patel also serves as a
medical director of Ochsner Home Health
which provides highly specialized medical
care to patients on the Southshore and
Northshore. Ochsner Home Health is a
component of Ochsner’s integrated healthcare delivery system dedicated to patient
care and education. For more information,
call
842-5585
or
email
[email protected].★
Fitness Center
I do is teach you how to lose 30 or 40
pounds, you’ll soon revert to your old
habits and gain back the weight. What
we are really teaching are life management skills. Life management skills
are more than not regaining the
weight. It’s about taking charge of
your own life, having a positive attitude that allows you to deal with the
tensions and stresses that fill all of our
lives.”
Among Shilstone’s current professional sports clients is New Orleans
Saints kicker Martin Gramatica.
Gramatica, who faces a challenge
from a rookie kicker at this summer’s
Saints camp, is determined to be in the
best mental and physical shape of his
life to assure that his pro football
career continues.
“You and I,” said Shilstone, “don’t
have to worry about the pressure of
trying to kick a game-winning field
goal with five seconds left on the
clock and 80,000 fans screaming. But
we do have to worry about our bosses,
our colleagues at work, our families
and our personal insecurities. The
exercises and drills that we teach our
clients don’t contain any magical formulas for coping with an angry boss
but your success at The Fitness
Principle will give you the confidence
to handle any situation that might
arise.”
Shilstone explained The Fitness
Principle is designed to help clients
reduce stress, improve sleep patterns,
sharpen cognitive skills, improve
memory, reduce risk of diseases such
as cancer and more.
Shilstone said that East Jefferson
General Hospital President and CEO
Dr. Mark Peters is truly a health care
leader in the market. “Mark Peters is a
great medical visionary who is one of
the first to understand there is a direct
correlation between personal fitness,
life management skills and good
health,” said Shilstone.
Dr. Peters has made it possible for
Shilstone to set up an innovative series
of programs that can be tailored to fit
the individual needs of any prospective client. East Jefferson General
Hospital has committed clinical
resources and other support intended
to significantly benefit those groups
and individuals who use The Fitness
Principle with Shilstone. The cost of
the programs range in price to fit the
individual needs of each client.
There are 14 different programs to
choose from, more than 12 staff members and a tremendous array of fitness
equipment, testing programs and
access to an entire staff of EJGH medical experts. But the most popular program is the one that teaches life management skills. The graduates of the
program say that it has in some cases
saved their lives or their mental health
and without a doubt worth their time,
East Jefferson General Hospital President
and CEO Dr. Mark Peters and The Fitness
Principle's Mackie Shilstone.
money and effort. The Fitness
Principle opened in January and today,
between 30 and 40 clients report to
work with the Shilstone staff every
day.
Among the local celebrities currently in the life management skills curriculum are WWL-TV morning
anchors Sally Ann Roberts and Eric
Paulson who are carrying on a competition to see who can lose the most
weight while making changes in their
lifestyles that will keep the weight off.
“The thing that really stands out to
me is that while Sally Ann and Eric are
certainly celebrities with the top-rated
morning TV show in this market, they
are also just folks who each have their
own set of problems, challenges, concerns, worries and beliefs,” said
Shilstone. “We find that as Eric and
Sally succeed at losing weight, they
are also developing new mental
strengths that are helping them cope
with the challenges in their lives. It’s
very important that each of us lose the
love handles that threaten our health,
but we also have to develop the mental
toughness to handle the stress in our
lives so we can keep those love handles from coming back.”
For Shilstone, it’s been a long ride
from his days as a 120-pound walk-on
wide receiver at Tulane University
who, amazingly, in 1974 caught several passes in a game against Ole Miss.
“But the one constant in my life has
been the belief if you have the willingness to do things you’ve never done
before and the mental toughness to set
a path for yourself and not deviate
from it, you can be in control of every
aspect of your life – from your weight
to your mental health.”
For additional information about
The Fitness Principle visit the website
at www.ejgh.org/thefitnessprinciple.
Shilstone and his staff can be reached
at 457-3100. ★
27
28
Everywhere you need us.
Ochsner Kenner Obstetrics and Gynecology is excited to welcome several new physicians to our team. These specialists
have recently transferred to Ochsner Kenner from the Houma Boulevard area in Metairie:
s¬7¬2YCKMAN¬#APLAN¬-$
s¬-ICHAEL¬#OHEN¬-$
s¬6INCENT¬#ULOTTA¬-$
s¬#HRISTINE¬*ORDAN¬-$
s¬!MY¬4RUITT¬-$
s¬!LFRED¬7IEDEMANN¬-$
s¬-ICHAEL¬7IEDEMANN¬-$
The services and the care you need are now all in one place – close to where you live and work – thanks to Ochsner
Kenner Obstetrics and Gynecology. As part of the Ochsner system, we are able to provide unmatched care specifically
for women, in all the places your life takes you. Our physicians take care of women from head to toe, from sickness to
health, and from being a mother to being a grandmother.
To make an appointment with Ochsner Kenner Obstetrics and Gynecology,
please call 504-464-8506.
Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner
Kenner
TM
Medical Center – Kenner
ochsnerwomen.org
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Kenner’s Monthly Community Newspaper
P.O. Box 641654 • Kenner, Louisiana 70064
August 2008
KENNER, LA
PERMIT NO. 49

August - Kenner Star

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