The Voice of Southwest Louisiana

January 2016
ALSO INSIDE: Head Start Round Up • Welsh Mayor Carolyn Leonards Louviere • Martin Luther King Festivities

…LOVE
casteth out fear!
I John 4:18 KJV
By Brenda Hill
During holiday seasons and festivities, I take time throughout the year
to observe smiling faces in public places, greet each other with cheer.
Embracing in conversation from peer to peer, mixed with anticipation that seems to linger here.
Then that exciting energy welcomes a New Year with its lavish Mardi Gras Balls and decorative
parades. All this energy combines with a spirit of acceptance to invite the MLK Breakfast with
nourishments, choirs, entertainments and more. Now a bigger door opens to a rhythmic spirit
that moves with smooth at the Black Heritage & Crawfish Festivals down by the lake shore.
But yet, a quiet and helpful, passionate, but cautious, generous spirit awaits. Filled with traditions from other cultures and
they are transplanting here. Seeking the pleasant and bonding relationships that are near. They see the energy and
excitement and want to experience southern hospitality known for its commonality. Hoping for opportunities to bond,
receive and share without all the media presenting such a big scare.
HAVE NO FEAR!!
That spirit of energy, excitement and anticipation lives in our faith, family, food, fun and football.
It bonds, accepts and strengthens. And it lingers here.
IT IS CALLED LOVE, AND LOVE LIVES HERE! HAPPY NEW YEAR
The Voice is thankful for all the PRAYERS, CARES AND GIFTS TO TRACY CLARK & FAMILY. She is now home, recovering.
2 EDITOR’S PEN
4 MARDI GRAS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
6 BEHIND THE SCENES: KAY ANDREWS
SWLA FOOD:
8 TABLE TALK - CASA MANANA
9 HEADSTART ROUNDUP
11 #POSITIVE IS ME: MAGGIE WALKER
12 MAYORS NOTES:
WELSH MAYOR CAROLYN LEONARDS LOUVIERE
16 DISHING WITH ANJELLE L. BURTON
18 SWLA ENTERTAINMENT: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FESTIVAL
20 KZWA: RELOADED AND VICTORIOUS
21 POWER TALK WITH PASTOR MARY
22 WORTH THE LOVE: CAPTURING THE UNICORN
24 GOSPEL UPDATES WITH LARRY W. ROBINSON
25 SWLA BUSINESS: GO GROUP YEAR END UPDATES
27 SWLA CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE: A PERSON IS A PERSON
Cover photo credit: Monsour Photography
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF | Brenda Hill
brenda@thevoiceofsouthwestla.com
GENERAL MANAGER | Tracy Clark
tracy@thevoiceofsouthwestla.com
OFFICE MANAGER | Kay Andrews
kandrews_thevoice@yahoo.com
GRAPHIC LAYOUT | Kyra Labrie
voiceofswlagraphics@gmail.com
EVENTS COORDINATOR | Carl Hubert
thevoiceofsouthwestla.com
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER | Faye Drake
fayedrake@sbcglobal.net
337-794-5678
ADVERTISING SALES | Chester Rogers
chesterrogers@yahoo.com
337-215-0547
CONSULTANTS
Gene R. Hill, Sr., Reginald Clark
LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, STORIES & PEOPLE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
LeNae Goolsby, JD, Rhonda Babin,
Joyce R. Kebodeaux, Mark Wayne Allen,
Ana Lisa, Pastor Mary Ringo,
Kris Welcome, Lisa Addison,
Marilyn Monroe, Marcia Dutton
All materials contained in the publication are copy-righted and may not be reproduced or
reprinted in part or its entirety without the expressed written permission of The Voice LLC.
The views expressed in articles of The Voice, are not necessarily the views of the ownership or
sponsors in this publication. The Voice LLC, assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Every
effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all content.
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CORRECTION: December 2015 Issue, page 15 - Correct name of Dept. of Waste Water and Mercury Collection with Team Green from Emile Guillory to Emile Gary.

Iowa Chicken Run
Photo Credit: Lake Charles.Southwest Louisiana CVB
mon Actors from John Milton’s Paradise
Lost, was put on by the Mistick Krewe of
Comus, a group founded in 1857 by former
members of Mobile’s Cowbellian de Rakin
Society. Comus was also responsible for
coining the term “krewe” and was the first
to choose a mythological namesake.
in
Southwest Louisiana
By Marilyn Monroe
Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been
called the greatest free show on earth.
And it is indeed a grand and spectacular
affair in the Big Easy. But for those looking
for something just as spectacular in a more
family-friendly environment, Southwest Louisiana
is the place to be. In Louisiana, this region’s
celebration is second only in size and
attendance to that in New Orleans.
“We try to draw crowds from all areas.
There is something for everyone,” said Rebecca
Moss, secretary for the Mardi Gras of
Southwest Louisiana’s Executive Board and
Parade Chairman. “The celebration is a family-fun
event and can include people from
everywhere. We have everything from the
‘Cinderella’ moment of the Royal Gala to
parades and balls. We have a Children’s Day,
a gumbo cook-off and a Zydeco dance.”
She also emphasized the safety-focused
nature of this area’s celebration.
Southwest Louisiana’s Mardi Gras season
kicked off on January 6, a day known as
the Feast of the Epiphany or Twelfth Night,
and will end on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday.
In New Orleans, the season is called Carnival,
and it is a period of feasting before the
fasting of Lent. Depending on when Easter
falls, the date for Fat Tuesday fluctuates.
This year, it will be February 9.
Photo Credit:
Monsour
Photography
How Mardi Gras is celebrated can
be broken down basically to its two faces
– one private and the other public.
Its private face would be its social world of
balls. According to Mardi Gras in New Orleans,
Arthur Hardy, author, in 1743, Governor
Marquis de Vaudreuil presented an elegant
Carnival ball that was Louisiana’s first
celebration of Mardi Gras. Balls are still generally
closed events for the members of the
various organizations, or krewes, and are
usually very elegant affairs. Extravagance
at these events can come in the form of
costumes for krewe captains and the royal
court.
According to Edwina Medearis, owner
of Meadearis’ Costumes, Cards, Gifts & Balloons
in Lake Charles, a king or queen of any
of the local affluent krewes might spend
anywhere up to $50,000 for one costume.
She spoke of one krewe whose captain
spent about three times that amount on a
costume. Funding for the costumes come
out of the pocket of the individuals chosen.
Some krewes do hand down collars and
trains,
which helps to
bring down the overall cost.
“Some people will save up for years when
they know they will be the queen or king.
Most krewes know who their king and
queen will be for 2017,” said Medearis.
Former Krewe of Illusions member and
long-time captain Kevin Hodge also knows
a thing or two about the art of extravagant
Mardi Gras costumery. Known for their
elaborate themes, Illusions puts on a show
each year for the public of their costumed
captain, court and other krewe members.
“Krewe of Illusions has always been
known for the big, fanciful, over-thetop
costumes. They are a theatrical
krewe more than anything else, and the
presentation was always big,” he said.
Hodge, a designer who has created
many costumes while in Illusions and
for other krewes, also served as the
Krewe of Illusion’s fifth king in 1995. The
theme for that year was Wild Horizons.
“It was all about wild animals,” he said. “My
queen and I had lions on our back piece.
They were burgundy and mustard yellow.”
The average weight of a
costume is about 50 pounds. Hodge
recalled his heaviest weighed in at 80. Its
focus was on the Hindu goddess Durga.
“It grew and grew,” Hodge recalled,
“When I decided to put the female mannequin
on the back of it as the goddess,
it blew it out of the water. And I had two
enormous elephants on the sides. It
was about 10 or 11 feet over my shoulder
and grew to be about 16 feet wide.”
According to Hodge, it can take approximately
six to eight weeks to put a costume
together. He is currently working
on two for the Krewe de la Noblesse. The
trains for the king and queen are expected
to be 15 and 10 feet long, respectively,
and he estimates the cost for each
costume to be around $10,000 apiece.
As for the public face of Mardi Gras, that
would include its parades, which are
offered free-of-charge for the masses.
And while Mobile, Alabama can claim
to be the place where Mardi Gras parades
were first held in the United
States, it was in New Orleans in February
1857, according to Hardy, that the first
themed parade with floats and costumed
maskers was held. The parade, entitled De-
The earliest known parade in this area
dates back to February 1882, when Momus,
the king of Mardi Gras, landed his royal
yacht at the foot of Pujo Street in Lake
Charles. The late Nola Mae Wittler Ross,
local historian and author of Mardi Gras in
Calcasieu Parish, wrote that this early parade
was watched by 1,500 to 2,000 people
who lined the streets. The parade stopped
at Fricke’s Opera House on the west side
of Ryan Street between Pujo and Kirby
streets, where a Royal Ball was then held.
Almost a century later, in 1980, the first
Krewe of Krewes parade was held in Lake
Charles. By 1991, that parade had grown
into the large parade the area knows today.
According to Ross, that parade was
held in the same general area as the Momus’
parade and had 80 mechanized
floats representing 27 Mardi Gras krewes
and was viewed by between 80,000 to
Special thanks to Anne Monlezun,
Director of Krewe of Krewes for providing this
historical book of Mardi Gras history in
Calcasieu Parish.
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BEHIND
Krewe of Barkus
Photo Credit: Lake Charles.Southwest Louisiana CVB
100,000 people. Today, the number of events celebrating
Mardi Gras in Southwest Louisiana has grown to include more
than just parades and balls, and the area currently boasts 65 krewes.
“It has grown in size and in scope, especially in the last 10 years
or so,” said Medearis. And there is diversity within the krewe ranks.
“Some krewes are much more elaborate than others. Some are
just for fun, and some are for heritage,” observed Medearis. A few of
those organizations include the Krewe of Cosmos, a West Calcasieu
area-focused group organized in Sulphur in 1955 that currently holds
the title of oldest krewe in Calcasieu Parish; the Krewe of Mystique,
a ladies krewe established in 1972; the Krewe of Omega, which was
organized in 1972 and is this area’s oldest African-American krewe;
and the Krewe de les Cajuns, founded in 1989 and consisting exclusively
of Cajun French Music Association members devoted to the
promotion of Cajun music. And by the time the 2017 Mardi Gras season
rolls around, Hodge is hoping to introduce a chapter of Apollo
– a krewe for men - to the area. He is currently working on the organization’s
policies and procedures.
Not to be left out, many of the surrounding rural areas still hold
a Courir de Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday Run. With its roots in medieval
celebrations held in France, the Courir would involve individuals
wearing masks, special hats (capuchons, which are tall, pointy
hats meant to parody the headdress of France’s noble ladies; miter
hats, which parodied the clergy; or mortarboards, which parodied
scholars) and rag-like, patchy clothing with fringes riding out
on horseback or walking from door-to-door begging for items for
a gumbo and often chasing down chickens for the meal, which
would be cooked and eaten at the end. A dance would also be held.
Courirs these days have eliminated the begging aspect and
many of them have instead taken on the aspect of a trail ride.
Le Krewe de la Originals et Les Enfants, out of Gueydan, is an
area group that holds a Courir de Mardi Gras each year dressed
in traditional garb. Moss is a member of the organization.
“They ride through the country during the day – some on horseback,
some on floats, and some in buggies,” she said, “At lunch time, they
stop and meet and have what they call the throwing of the chickens.
Once that is done, they all met afterwards and have gumbo.”
For more information about
Mardi Gras events
in Southwest Louisiana, go to
swlamardigras.com
or visitlakecharles.org.
By Marcia Dutton
Should you notice a slim little
figure, hurrying around the
corridors of The Seed Center,
the attractive lady is Kay Andrews,
the new Office Manager
at The Voice of Southwest Louisiana
monthly magazine.
One might consider her a
restless soul who enjoys being
of use behind the scenes.
Interested in so many things,
she likes to participate where
she has something to offer.
After giving what she considers
the ultimate of her
usefulness, she is eager to
move on to a new challenge.
Kay came to Lake Charles in
2007 to be near her daughter,
which she wanted to do since
first visiting here years ago. In
spite of coming from one of
the most beautiful states in the
country, North Carolina, she
fell in love with our part of the
world---its culture, wildlife, and
natural habitat. In a short time,
she has entrenched herself into
the environment and left indelible
footprints in many places.
A New Face
at The Voice of
Southwest Louisiana
Kay Andrews: Office Manager
Other than the several
committees Kay associated
herself with, such
as past president of the
League of Women Voters,
Arts and Humanities, and
Associated Louisiana Artists,
to name a few; she enjoys
bird watching, gardening
and excursions around the state.
In addition to her work
with The Voice, Kay is President
of Friends of the Library, Calcasieu.
This is a group of area
people who work together as
volunteers to support the thirteen
branches of the library to
better serve the community.
Our local and surrounding
communities are well aware of
what a vital center of lifelong
learning our libraries extend
to the local population. The libraries
offer so many quality
programs for all ages, one gets
the impression they are the
true hub of our communities.
The library volunteers are
instrumental in the support of
all the branches throughout
the Parish. Volunteers include
senior citizens, individuals with
limited abilities and students.
But, a need exist for more helping
hands. If you have the time
and enjoy the satisfaction that
volunteering affords, opportunities
are available for assisting
with whatever your interest …
cashier, selling books, t-shirts,
book bags or serving as a host/
hostess for special programs
Friends of the Library, Calcasieu
volunteers welcome new
members to enjoy the camaraderie
and fellowship. Friends
of The Library, Calcasieu anticipate
opening their new space
at the Central Library building
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016
on Ernest the first part of 2016.
Do yourself a favor and contact
your local library or stop to visit
Kay at The Voice of Southwest
Louisiana located in the Seed
Center on Ryan Street. Interesting
and unpretentious, you will
find her comfortable to be with
and happy to meet you.

SWLA
By Lisa Addison
EARLY CHILDHOOD ROUNDUP HAPPENING SOON
Do you know a
child that needs a
Head Start?
At Casa Manana, it’s all about the nostalgia
factor. Wait, it’s really all about the famous
cheese dip the restaurant is known for! Or is
it the enchiladas? Maybe it’s the deliciously
crisp chips that seem to magically arrive on
the table as soon as the basket starts to get
a little low on chips. It’s actually all of those
things and more.
The casual eatery has been around since
1976 and is one of those places where
many of us go year after year to celebrate
birthdays and other special occasions. Or
simply to get our chips and cheese dip fix!
A restaurant doesn’t stay in business for decades
unless it has good food and great service.
Casa Manana hits it out of the ballpark
in both of those areas.
You can count on Casa’s signature chips and
salsa to arrive on your table about the time
that you’re sitting down. As you dig in, start
thinking about what to order for an entree
because there is a lot to choose from and
it’s all good.
Casa’s sizzling hot fajitas are popular and
tasty, and are served with pico de gallo, sauteed
onions, sour cream, guacamole, homemade
flour tortillas, and rice and beans.
Choose from chicken, beef, or shrimp fajitas
or you can go for the grande fajitas which
include chicken, beef, and shrimp.
You can’t go wrong with the eatery’s delicious
cheese or beef enchiladas, both of
which are served with rice and beans.
Or, opt for an order of chicken, shrimp, or
beef quesadillas, which come with guacamole
and sour cream. If you like your meal
spicier, you can ask for jalapenos on the
side or even cooked inside your quesadillas
which is how I like mine.
There are plenty of other delicious items to
choose from including burritos, tacos, chalupas,
and tamales. If you’re not super hungry,
there are also salads and other items
available.
It’s a kid’s world at Casa on Monday nights
because they get to eat free (two kids per
adult adult.) There is also a special menu
for kids, which includes choices of chicken
nuggets, hamburger, taco with chili con
queso or enchilada with rice and beans.
What are you waiting for? Head to Casa Manana
and prepare for some excellent hospitality
and a meal that’s muy deliciouso!
Casa Manana is located at
2510 Ryan Street in Lake Charles.
Contact them for a To Go order at:
(337) 433-4112
By Rhonda Babin
Children that are successful
students are prepared mentally,
physically, emotionally, and
socially to learn. Preparing for
education that leads to college
and careers starts even before
kindergarten.
In Louisiana there is a unified
Early Childhood System called
Act 3 that gets children academically
and developmentally ready
to succeed by making sure they
are kindergarten ready when
they enter school. The programs
under this umbrella have a lasting
impact on a child’s entire academic
career.
Act 3 programs include
Childcare Centers, Head Start,
and Pre-K. Head Start is a child
development program that focuses
on the family. The Head
Start eligible child receives academic,
social, and emotional
development skills through a
school year long program. The
families of eligible children are
There are Head
Start programs in
Calcasieu Parish at
J.D. Clifton Elementary,
Brenda H. Hunter
Head Start Center,
Jake Drost, J.I. Watson,
and DeQuincy
Primary. These programs
gather applications
at the Early
Childhood Roundup
in February and/or
March of every year.
helped with nutrition,
social, and
health services
among other
things.
Applicant eligibility is reviewed
and acceptance is made for the
school year that begins in August.
J.D. Clifton teacher Dawn
Jones-Kreider loves her job
and relishes being able to give
children experiences that make
them equal with their peers
when it comes time to start
Pre K and Kindergarten. This is
accomplished by having everything
that happens during the
day geared and planned to be a
learning exercise. Something as
simple as forming a line to get a
snack teaches a child about following
rules and directions.
Kreider says, “A typical day
starts with breakfast where the
teachers eat with the students.
Center time comes next where
children play and learn at the
same time.” There are different
interest areas for this time including
science, blocks, library,
genetics, and art. Children are
told stories and participate
around activities that many
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times follow a theme. The day
continues with lunch, outside
play, and music and movement
sessions.
This is Kreider’s sixth year as
a Head Start teacher. She gushes,
“Head Start is a dream job because
it is so different than any
es are many being a Head Start
teacher. Kreider stays in touch
with her students and families
from years past. Some of
the students are now in third
grade and they are top leaders,
straight ‘A’ earners, and families
whose situations changed for
to the hierarchy of a school. She
has been with Head Start for 10
years and prior to this post she
was an Assistant Principal.
“This year is going to be a little
different for the application
process during Roundup. This is
erty lines,” informs Causey. She
continues, “If you are interested
at all and think you may qualify,
make sure and pick up an application
packet during the annual
Roundup.”
#PositiveIsMe
From the hands of
the young, comes
inspiration
other teaching job!” One of the
major differences that makes
Kreider so enthusiastic about
the Head Start program is being
able to work with families
of the child in expanded ways.
She explains, “We have a
family advocate on staff that
gets involved and helps us tailor
things according to the need
of the child and their living situations.”
Some of the things that
families have been helped with
are earning a General Equivalency
Diploma, improving credit
scores with information from
financial workshops, nutrition,
housing, and parenting skills.
“We help parents build a better
toolbox with resources and information
to be better parents,”
concludes Kreider.
The rewards and challeng-
the better. “When I am having a
bad day I remember where they
were when they started Head
Start and acknowledge that’s
why I am here,” shares Kreider.
One of the biggest rewards of
the current school year is having
a child who was non-verbal
in August speaking now. “The
progress from September to
today is really incredible,” she
informs.
Kreider encourages families
to fill out an application packet
during Roundup. “Head Start
empowers families, educates
children, and builds strong
communities. At J.D. Clifton we
work together as a team because
we all want to be here.”
Leading the Head Start
team at J.D. Clifton is Site Facilitator
Lisa Causey. Causey is
like a principal when it comes
the first year that we will have
a unified application for all day
cares, Head Starts, and Pre-K,”
says Causey. She continues, “Act
3 has brought together all Early
Childhood Education programs
so we will all be on the same
page and have the same standards
across the board.”
“I have seen the difference
Head Start makes in academic
progress,” states Causey. Eligible
children are placed on a
waiting list that is lengthy due
to the program’s success and
need. Causey urges people to
act early and apply for Head
Start and/or Early Childhood
Education programs.
“Children who are eligible
for Head Start are three years of
age by September 30th of the
school year and have family income
levels that are below pov-
Causey is proud of the fact
that she has a highly qualified
and nurturing staff that meets
the social, emotional, and academic
needs of children in an
age appropriate way. She reports,
“If a child starts out on
the right foot, they will graduate
from high school.” Simply
stated, “Productive students
stay in school and Head Start
creates productive students.”
For more information and
to get the date for Early
Childhood Roundup visit
the Calcasieu Parish School
Board web site at www.cpsb.
org or call Early Education
Director Sheryl Piper’s office
at 337-217-4210. For extra
information on education in
Louisiana visit
www.louisianabelieves.com
By Mark Wayne Allen
Maggie Walker of Merryville High School
has used sign language for the interpretation
of songs. She’s been performing for several
years in school, at church events, and other
arenas.
What inspired you to learn sign language?
I really don’t know. I have a cousin’s mom
who is deaf and I think that’s where my interest
started. Then one night we had a candlelight
service at the church... After that, I did
one song in the church and it just took off
from there.
(When her grandfather paid her for work, she
would buy sign language books.)
What would you like to eventually do?
Well, I thought about going to LSUE and
becoming a rad tech, but then, I don’t know,
maybe I want to get on with a cruise line using
my sign language. I love to travel, I mean
I love to do that, and if I got on with a cruise
line, then I could do interpreting and see the
world. That’s something I want to do! I want
to stay within the Christian world too.
Do you often get emotional when you sign?
It looks like you do.
All the time (repeated). I’ve seen other
people sign and they don’t have emotion,
but when I sign, before I ever sign, I pray. She
(her mother) laughs at me, but I pray before I
get on stage and before the music ever starts.
Up until the first word, I’m constantly praying.
I don’t do it for me but because it’s my God
given talent. It makes it hard not to accept
any credit for it when people tell me that
I did good because I know it wasn’t me. It’s
something that God gave me. This is my way
of getting to people that some couldn’t. I
teach in my church to kids and it’s a way
of getting them into church. It’s also a way
of getting kids more involved by saying, “it
doesn’t have to just be adults up there, you
can be involved too.”
Are you a youth, or
maybe, Sunday School
leader?
I am, in a way. I help
with that. It’s mostly people
younger than me. Of
all the kids there, I’m the
oldest one. I could be a
youth leader one day because
I like working with
people. It’s just wherever
I’m led. Maybe an evangelist...
What do you like to do?
I love the outside. I’d
rather be outside more
than anything. I love
hunting and fishing. I’m
not like ordinary teens. I
spend a lot of time with
music. (I like to do stuff
for older people or just go visit with them.)
I’m not one to just sit back, I’m one to go up
to them and sit with them. I don’t like seeing
people left out and I’m not afraid to talk to
anybody.
Maggie proved to be a beautiful person,
both in looks and personality. Her mother,
who came too, was wonderful. I was blessed
by their visit. Each time Maggie performs, it’s
an emotional experience.
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

MAYOR’S
The Mayor of Welsh Loves Her Job
Carolyn Louviere,
Stephanie Benoit,
Tracy Goodwin,
Andrew LeBleu,
Stephen Janssen,
Eric Savoy,
Wayne Hebert
Pictured at City Hall: Eva Kibodeaux, Kay McMillin, Diane Polk, Carolyn Louviere, Stephanie Benoit, Kaneesha Bellow, Florence Matte
By Joyce R. Kebodeaux
Walking into the Welsh City
Hall wasn’t like walking into a
business place but more like
visiting with family. When I introduce
myself the receptionist
laughed. We had the same last
name. Right then I became family
too. Mayor Carolyn Leonards
Louviere came up front and
took me into her office. She is
the first in her family to run for
an office and doesn’t think of
herself as a politician. She has
been the Mayor of Welsh [Population
34,000] for 11 years and
says, “I love my job.”
The work of the mayor is
called a part time job but it
seems Carolyn is in the office as
much as any full time employee.
As a rice farmer’s daughter
and co-owner of Cajun Tales
Restaurant, since 1989, she is
not afraid of work. While the
Town of Welsh may seem small
in comparison with large cities
I was surprised to learn that
Welsh owns and sells all the utilities
there except gas. “This not
only brings in income for the
town but affords the residents
reasonable rates. It’s been this
way for as long as I can remember,”
she says.
Owning the utilities adds
extra work for the mayor and
her staff. Utilities are paid at city
hall and if service is needed, citizens
call here too. When it is not
during business hours they call
the police station. The linemen,
meter readers and the crews
are employees of the town.
Maintaining the equipment;
poles, lines and equipment that
brings the conveniences into
the homes is the town’s responsibility.
Besides paying for labor,
the supplies used inside the city
limits are the town’s expense.
Carolyn attends meetings with
the companies that sell the
products and has served or is
currently serving on the board
of directors of each company.
Communication is important
and Carolyn attends
meetings that are sometimes
in the evenings, which makes
extra-long workdays for her.
Serving on the board of the
cerned about the lights being
broken in Welsh, along I-10. It
was so dark out there that people
were complaining. We contacted
the DEQ and the State
of La. They discovered that the
breakdown happened when
they made repairs on guardrails
and signs awhile back. They repaired
the lights at no cost to
the town.”
Welsh has its own airport
and some vacant land adjacent
to it. Recently the town was
ordered to stop burning discarded
branches so the town
officials used this to their advantage.
With everyone working
together, a pad was constructed
near the airport, city
workers got their CDL licenses
and the hauling of branches to
their new compost pile began.
It has been said that Cajuns
don’t waste anything but they
don’t have a monopoly on that.
In the mayor’s case she is all for
using up what is at her disposal
to help the town. Not born a
Cajun, Carolyn Leonards Louivere
is from German descent,
born in the Roberts Cove area.
Her family moved near Welsh
to farm rice when she was nine
years old. She and her husband
• 24 grams of protien, including 16
Economic Development Alliance
representing Jeff Davis
non-GMO protien
grams or proprietary, plant-based,
and four other parishes is only
• Added leucine to help preserve
one of the many ways she stays
lean muscle and achieve a
abreast of what is happening in
healthier weight
surrounding areas. She expects
• A powerful combination of
the huge economic expansion
prebiotics and one billion CFU of
patented probiotics to support
in progress will have an effect
digestive and immune health
on her area.
• Gluten-Free, lactose-Free, low
The mayor is on the landfill
board too. Welsh owns the
sweetners or preservatives
glycemic, kosher, No artificial flavors,
land near I-10 where the landfill
• Available in Vanilla, Chocolate,
stands. By sharing the landfill
Strawberry and Cafe Latte
with the neighboring communities
and the Police Jury, the
income from the methane gas
produced here helps support
the town. “But that means, “She
said, “We have to maintain it
too.”
raised 11 children and have futures here in Welsh. Within her children’s accomplishments.
“The town had been con- many grand and great grand-
the town, three fields for base-
The mayor has people like 337-230-3598
children. Her two sisters and
most of their children still live
here. Those that don’t; still call
The Town of Welsh their home.
This mayor didn’t always think
about being in this job. She has
a degree in education and for
many years taught her favorite
age group, which is Kindergarten
and pre-k. She said, “When
I was teaching I looked into the
precious and innocent faces
of these bright little students
and knew that many would not
reach their full potential. Welsh
had many problems then. I
wanted to make this town a
safe place to live; to raise our
children.”
“Now I can say, we have
a fantastic;” she repeated, “a
fantastic police force. Also our
firemen and first responders
are as well trained as any big
city workers.” She laughs and
confesses to saying “I love you
to all of them. After all I am old
enough to be their mother.”
Carolyn is often seen riding
around town with one of the
crews to inspect the repairs and
additions such as the new dugouts
put in at Richmond Park in
December. Parents can plan for
their children’s livelihood and
ball, softball and basketball and
also a nice walking path.
The mayor named some of
the businesses Welsh acquired
in the past four years like Subway,
Southern Pub, Horsetails,
Daigle’s Meat Market, Sonnier’s
Gym, Furniture Wholesale
Warehouse, The Bank, Bonnie’s
Antiques and Dollar General.
Also when it comes to improvements
and repairs, the mayor
works hard at balancing them
so that every part of town gets
equal treatment.
“Welsh had a newspaper
which was great getting our
news out to the townspeople
but it closed. The town now has
a Facebook Page which those
with computers can access to
learn what we are doing. We
send out phone messages to
homes about changes and/or
emergency situations. News
bulletins are mailed out several
times a year to the homes
so the citizens stay informed. In
Welsh we all pull together. Did
you know? We won first place
in district E and third place in
the state for the cleanest city!
And the most improved since
last year! ” She says this with the
same pride of a mother telling
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016
herself, who are interested in
the future of Welsh. ”I could not
do my job without the help of
my staff, our police, firemen,
the people who write grants
volunteers who do so much for
the town. There are too many to
name now but I love and appreciate
them all.”
Shaklee Life
Energizing
Shake
Pat Landreneau Nutrition Consultant
pat@cajunslick.com
Lake Charles & Jennings
www.patsnc.myshaklee.com

Chateau du Lac 04-18-13 .25b:Layout 1 4/3/13 2:30 PM Page 1
WHAT:
Participate in SWLA’s premiere Half Marathon in Sulphur, LA
where participants earn customized finisher medals and gender
specific technical t-shirts. And in it’s fourth year is the 1 Kilometer
Run & Walk benefitting Sulphur High School’s Cross Country and
Track and Field teams. Commit. Run or Walk. Donate.
WHEN:
Saturday, February 13, 2016; Half Marathon begins at 7:30 AM
with the Ainsley’s Angels beginning at 7:25 AM. 10 Kilometer
run begins at 7:30 AM.1Kilometer Run &Walk begins
immediately 7:45 AM.
WHERE:
Westminster Presbyterian Church, 301 Center Circle Drive,
Sulphur, LA 70663
“Run or Walk
your way
through
historical
SULPHUR.”
Beginner and Elite Athletes invited to participate in
“RUN FOR JIMBO” half marathon on Saturday, February 13th
RUN FOR JIMBO PARTICIPANTS
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
AunJelle LaFleur Burton, Race Coordinator
337.842.5879; aunjelle.lafleur@gmail.com
WHY:
It all started with Jimbo. A local group of runners were
training for a half marathon when Jimbo, a husband of
a runner, was diagnosed with cancer. Rather than
spending money elsewhere, the women decided to
“Run for Jimbo.” By running for Jimbo, they would raise
money to help the family with medical bills and traveling
fees. The event was supported by other local runners
and became a yearly event. This year is the 6th
Annual running of Park to Park Half Marathon. More
than $2300.00 has been donated to SHS Cross Country
team for volunteering as mile timers. They withstood
the rain in 2012 and plan to be a beneficiary of the
Half Marathon again this year.
• Low Rent &
Utility Allowance
• 1 and 2 Bedrooms
Available
• Elevators
• Handicap Accessible
Units
• Range & Refrigerator
Included
• Heat/Air Conditioning
Units
• Trash Chutes Each
Floor
• Ample Parking
• Two Patio Areas
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• Resident Activities
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Association
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PROOF
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and
MAKE NEW FRIENDS & TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER:
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Make Changes and Resubmit Proof
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except for those caused by errors on the part of
The Jambalaya News.
715 Kirby St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 • sales@thejambalayanews.com
(337) 436-7800 • Fax: (337) 990-0262
DATE
LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, STORIES & PEOPLE
Resolutions Benefiting
Both Myself and Others
By Marcia Dutton
An email has given me thought---a reminder of something
I’ve neglected to do lately. Once I was accused of always
smiling. This New Year I want to be more conscious of doing
that.
Getting older, in a seemingly more difficult and demanding
world, I am grouchier and less patient with the time it takes
to accomplish what I set out to do.
Being disgruntled reflects in my face as I rush in to get help
with my cell phone, computer or a myriad of other things
gone awry. It’s no-one else’s problem that I’m behind in my
schedule. They don’t care and why should they? And, that
person, so slow at the cashier will be me in a few years.
Often, the error is my own undoing, but I am so self-absorbed,
I show my impatience or dissatisfaction---instead of
smiling at the person who is there to help. It’s too late when
I suddenly remember. The damage has been done. Now that
person is in a less favorable mood. I resolve to be more
conscious of smiling, even when I’m hurting.
Another thing I hope to remember is to acknowledge a
stranger when possible. We hear of those who commit
suicide or victimize others, often because they are treated
as outsiders, un-noticed, unloved or looked through as
though they don’t exist.
Sometimes I forget the interesting people I have met, simply
by saying hello and introducing myself to someone who is
alone, or looks a little out of place. Basically shy, and more
comfortable among those I know, I think maybe I’ll be rejected
or unable to think of what to say. I’ve rarely been rejected
and find conversation becomes easy when the person shares
his/her thought or experiences. I may even learn something
important or a word of wisdom. I benefit as well by helping
someone else feel recognized as a person of value.
This year, I sincerely want to resolve to do those two things.
Perhaps even easier than trying to stick to a diet.
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

By Rhonda Babin
AunJelle’s Ingredients:
Birth Date: May 3, 1973
Parents: Jaie & John LaFleur
Spouse: Charles Burton
Siblings: Chauntelle LeJeune,
Craig & Jon LaFleur
Children: Dillon LaFleur & Tyler
Ducote
Hometown: Sulphur
Current Residence:
Lake Charles
Standard “Dishing With”
Questions:
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: I love food! My Mother’s
Gumbo. It doesn’t matter
what kind.
Q: What did you last cook?
A: Grilled chicken, pasta,
homemade mushroom
sauce, and corn.
Q: What would your last
meal be?
A: Mom’s Gumbo.
Q: What do you ‘dish’ about at
the dinner table?
A: When I am with my
family it’s all about
catching up with each
other and vacation plans.
Conversation with my
friends is about running:
what we just ran, what we
are going to run, and what
aches and pains we have
from running.
Making resolutions is a common
thing for many people at a
new year. Most resolutions involve
health, exercise, and eating
right. AunJelle Burton sees
the positive effects when people
stick to those resolutions. In
her words, “My real job is with
the Sulphur Parks and Recreation
Department. My other,
unpaid job is organizing races
and helping people train for
them.”
Burton has a love of running
and community. In 2010
she was training for a half marathon
(a race of 13.1 miles) with
a group of runners in Sulphur.
One of the runner’s husbands
was diagnosed with cancer.
The friends decided rather than
spending money to travel and
pay entrance fees to run in a
different area, they would organize
a run in Sulphur and use
the money to help out this local
family’s medical bills and travel
expenses. That year Running for
Broaden your mind, learn something new, and
experience unique events with Banners at McNeese.
Jimbo became the first Sulphur
race that Burton organized.
That first half marathon
raised $6,000 and helped the
beneficiary become cancer free!
“I never wanted to be a race
organizer,” states Burton who
since has organized a yearly
half marathon and 1K relay
called Park to Park and created
a business called Race Pace
Multisport that finds races and
creates training plans for runners
and triathletes.
“Putting together a run
can be a quite costly and difficult
for smaller events,” explains
Burton. She continues,
“You need cones, hydration
stations, a clock and timing system,
police escort for the participants,
and a way to get the
word out about the race.” Burton
has successfully brought all
the components together and
built a half marathon route that
takes participants across Sulphur
through several beautiful
parks.
Park to Park Half Marathon
and Relay begins at West Minster
Presbyterian Church on
Center Circle. The runners then
follow a path that takes them
through Center Circle Park, Mc-
Murray Park, Maplewood Drive,
Frasch Park (where they run
past 100 year old Oak Trees),
Pattison Park, and N Frasch
Park. Participants then double
back through McMurray Park
to Center Circle for the awards
ceremony that begins at 10:00.
“Runners and Power Walkers
see Sulphur in a whole
different way when they participate
in Park to Park,” says
Burton. “Things that you cannot
see when you are driving
across town in a vehicle are evident
when you run past them,”
she continued.
The Half Marathon and
10K (which is being added this
year) benefit the Sulphur High
School Cross Country and Track
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Let us Entertain You!
Cirque Zuma Zuma filled with non-stop
action and incredible feats.
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater featuring
family-oriented comedy, juggling, and
rescue pets showing off in skits and stunts.
Vishten, showcasing French-Acadian songs
mixed with original compositions.
Plus, authors, exhibitions,
and discussions to entertain,
inspire and educate.
Get all the details for the 2016
Banners season, along with
membership and ticket
information at: banners.org.
Tickets
on Sale
Now!
Working to turn your
dreams into an
and Field team. The beneficiary
of the 1K will be named sometime
in January.
Sponsors and volunteers
are needed to put out cones,
help with awards, take photographs,
hand out Gu nutrition
packets, and sponsor cheer stations.
Sulphur High, WW Lewis,
and LeBlanc Middle students
already volunteer as well as local
Girl Scout troops.
Burton’s resolution for this
race year is to have 300 participants
entered in Park to Park
who can truly live up to the slogan
of ‘My Race My Pace’. She
says, “I would like people to get
involved and have fun and enjoy
the beautiful, historic City of
Sulphur.”
Park to Park Half Marathon
is Saturday, February 13, 2016.
To register online visit www.
active.com. Email aunjelle.lafleur@gmail.com
or telephone
337-842-5879 for more information.

SWLA
“In God We Trust” Decals Placed on City of
Lake Charles Vehicles
KZWA 104.9, The Vibe
Foundation and The M.L.K
Coalition announces plans
for the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Festival held January 15-18,
2016. The theme this year is
“The Dream: Taking the First
Step…when you can’t see the
whole staircase”.
The M.L.K, Jr. Festival honors
the courageous efforts
and sacrifices of Martin Luther
King, Jr.
The festivities will commence
with the annual memorial
breakfast, held at
Trinity Baptist Church, Friday
January 15, 2016 at 7:30 am.
It honors several deserving,
outstanding individuals in
the community. The speaker
will be Lake Charles, La. native
and Sr. Vice President and
C.E.O of Memorial Hermann
Pearland Hospital, Dr. Mario
Garner.
Local High School Choirs
performing include: Barbe,
LaGrange, St. Louis, Sulphur
and Washington Marion, accompanied
by the Trinity Baptist
Church Orchestra and Mr.
Don McZeal.
First place winners of the
M.L.K essay writing contest
from each school division
will read their winning essay
and community figures will
be recognized and presented
with the “M.L.K Unsung
Hero Award “at the memorial
breakfast. This event is open
to the public and beginning
at 9:00 am and will be televised
on KPLC TV.
A highlight to this year’s
festival will be the 2nd annual
Gala by the Lake held Saturday
night 7:00 pm at the Pioneer
Club, 127 Broad St. 9th
Floor Chase Building and will
feature a night with the stars
including national recording
artists.
On Sunday, January 17 at
6:00 pm performers from all
over Louisiana will come together
for the Gospel Extravaganza
held at the Throne of
Grace Fellowship located at
2401 6th Street, Lake Charles,
La. Admission is free for this
event and is open to the public.
The celebration continues
on Monday, January 18th
with the annual parade rolling
through the streets of
Lake Charles at 11:00 am with
the lineup beginning at Lake
Charles Civic Center at 8:30
am. Everyone is invited to
take part in this fun-filled family
event. Don’t miss the Family
Fun Day celebration where
you can enjoy live, local and
national entertainers with
the best in Zydeco, R&B, Jazz,
Blues and Southern Soul music.
The big Celebrity Gumbo/
Sauce Piquant Cook-Off contest
as well as the exhibition
by hundreds of local vendors
featuring arts, crafts, Creole
and Cajun food from all over
Louisiana which promises to
be a treat for all ages.
The Martin Luther King,
Jr. Festival is celebrating its
32nd year anniversary and
was chosen as a Top 20 Event
by the Southeast Tourism Society
(STS) for the first quarter
of 2014. This award is a coveted
honor among 12 member
states. Details on these events
and admission can be found
at www.kzwafm.com or by
calling Ms. Jacques Brown
337-491-9955.
T-Shirts can be purchased
at KZWA and Unlimited Fashions.
Fees and entry forms
can be picked up and purchased
at the business office
on 305 Enterprise Blvd., Lake
Charles, La. 70601. Those
wearing the commemorative
M.L.K T-shirts get free admission
and are invited to march
in the M.L.K parade.
For further
information call
337-491-9955 and ask
for Jacques Brown
or fax
337-433-8097
KZWA 104.9
mail@kzwafm.com
305 Enterprise Blvd.
Lake Charles, La. 70601
The national motto of “In God
We Trust” will be placed on roughly
200 City vehicles, after an ordinance
was unanimously passed by the Lake
Charles City Council earlier this year.
Adopted on November 4, 2015,
Ordinance No. 17408 authorized the
City to implement a policy providing
for the issuance of decals to be
affixed to City owned vehicles and
signs on City buildings displaying the
national motto.
Funding for the decals will come
strictly from donations.
According to Finance Director Karen
Harrell, $250 has been received by the
City so far to purchase the decals. No taxpayer
funds will be used.
As donated funds become available,
decals will be purchased and first applied
to all City vehicles, including those
operated by Police, Fire and Public Works
employees. After decals are purchased for
the City vehicles, the decals will be made
available to the public at no cost on a firstcome,
first-served basis.
Pictured Above: Lake Charles City Council Vice President
Rodney Geyen and City Council Member John Ieyoub (second
and third from left) co-sponsored an ordinance in November
which authorized the City of Lake Charles to implement a
policy providing for the issuance of decals displaying the
national motto of “In God We Trust” on City vehicles. Lake
Charles Police Department Chief Don Dixon, Cpl. Michael
Flurry, and Officer Frank Padilla were on hand as the first
decal was placed on a police unit.
Expert Deer Processing
REGULAR and SMOKED BOUDIN
JALAPENO BOUDIN
SMOKED SAUSAGE and a VARIETY
CUTS OF PORK AND BEEF
SPEEDY SERVICE WITH A SMILE
6am to 6pm, M-F • 730am to 230pm, Sat
1217 Mill St. (one block off enterprise blvd)
Lake Charles, La.
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

Jacques Brown, New CEO of KZWA
By Kris Welcome
As The Voice continues to deliver positive news that educates
and gives hope and encouragement, it would be an injustice to
not introduce to our readers a powerful person behind another
media outlet that we have grown to love.
Jacques Brown is taking the world of media, in regard to radio,
by storm. KZWA is RELOADED AND VICTORIOUS Number 1 IN
LAKE CHARLES OVERALL.
KZWA 104.9 is a station many have come to love over the years,
but when CEO Faye Blackwell, known as Mrs. Faye, passed away
last year her niece, Jacques, was up to the task of filling her shoes.
“It’s difficult because in entertainment there is a central theme of
‘the show must go on.’ However, our family and community are
still grieving this major loss and it’s good to know that what we do
every day is a constant reminder of who she was and how important
she still is to this community,” Brown says when asked how
does she feel carrying on her aunt’s legacy.
Being a woman in the business world comes with its own set
of challenges, but when you add being black to the mix, you have
a recipe for an interesting time at the job. Brown credits her strong
sense of self in the working world to her faith in God. “It’s very easy
for one to become merged in what is popular or what others are
doing, but constant faith in God forces me to be aware of who I
am, and most importantly, whose I am.”
is
RELOADED and
VICTORIOUS
Number 1 in Lake Charles
Media is a part of everyone’s lives whether you take time to
notice it or not. The news, TV, movies, radio, and magazines are
all around us daily and we absorb its contents like sponges. One
must be able to interact comfortably with these entities and feel
that they’re giving something back for their support of the brand.
Community outreach is huge for media outlets such as KZWA.
Jacques also felt that community support was important
on the agenda of KZWA. “KZWA benefits the community by doing
what it has always done and that is being an outlet for the
community. When events are going on in the area it is imperative
that we get information to our listeners expeditiously. Yes, we are
tweaking a few things but it’s like the process of crafting a diamond:
it may shine, but it’s nothing without constant refinement.
We are refining our diamond so we can continue to let it shine
throughout Southwest Louisiana.”
Jacques has advice for other women like herself who are
breaking into or looking to get into the world of business.
She wants women to keep their brand as the top priority when
making decisions. “Know your brand, believe in your brand, and
never allow anyone or anything to stop you from delivering your
brand to your target audience. Learn patience. Rome wasn’t built
in a day.”
(…In this world you will have
tribulations, but be of good
cheer, I have conquered the
world. John 16:33 KJV)
In life we deal with issues of
many kinds, whether they are
called tests, challenges, adversities
or trials and tribulations.
Is your issue a terrible financial
challenge and you are having
trouble making ends meet?
Holidays are over and bills are
past due? Maybe an eviction
notice, IRS notification for back
taxes, vehicle repossessions?
However, someone else might
gladly trade places with you,
just to be free of their physical
afflictions, never-ending
health/emotional/career related
issues or troubled relationships.
Whatever issue gets you
down or knocks you down,
NEW YEAR,
NEW ATTITUDE
YOU DON’T HAVE TO
STAY DOWN!!!
Who told you it was over?
Who told you to just give up
and walk away defeated? Every
issue is God’s opportunity
to test and build faith.
Each test is a tool to
strengthen endurance. Every
challenge is meant to build
character. Each adversity, trial
and tribulation is allowed to
prepare you for a greater level!
Cheer up! Make up your
mind! Lift your head! Stand up!
Remain steadfast and unwavering!
Straighten your shoulders,
get back in the race and
encourage yourself!!
God has overcome the
whole world!
What is your issue to the
One who has all power?
Mary Gentry
General Manager
Hampton Inn
mary.gentry@hilton.com
3175 Holly Hill Rd.
Lake Charles, LA
337.480.6443
Fax: 337.480.6436
hampton.com
WITH PASTOR MARY
It’s a new year! Take on a
new attitude and a new spirit
of enthusiasm, courage and
perseverance. You are more
powerful than you realize!
Nothing intimidates the adversary
more than a person with a
made up mind. Embrace 2016
with a fierce determination to
be the best you were created
to be. Remember, someone
may be watching you to draw
new strength and be encouraged
by your determination,
resilience, and faith.
You are invited to worship
with us at Faith Vision Ministries,
Rev. Mary Guidry-Ringo,
Sr. Pastor, 8000 Frontage Rd.,
Iowa, La. Thursday Bible Study
6:30 p.m., Sunday Worship
10:30 a.m. • 337-582-1634
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

By LeNae Goolsby
“Our intention creates
our reality.”
our grandiose goals and resolutions
much like we would release a handful of
shimmering carnation pink and magenta
foil heart shaped balloons into the chilly
February breeze. But it does not have to
be that way.
Setting intentions is not just another
word for goal or resolution. Rather, inherent
in setting an intention is the inspired
energy of action within and around it
propelling us forward to actual realized
achievement. Intentions are powerful for
looking for sunset beige colored cars and
butterflies, and then being open to how
the cars and the butterflies show up in
the period of time allotted for the experiment.
When I did this experiment it was
as if all of a sudden everyone was driving
a sunset beige car.
The butterflies did not show up the
way I expected them to, but rather in unexpected
ways, such as in a book I was
flipping through, or on a television commercial.
When I set the intention of looking
for them they showed up. So naturally,
I took this process to the next level…
setting the intention to see a unicorn.
Have I seen a unicorn, you ask? Yes,
in fact they have been known to show
up multiple times in a day. Have I seen
a live unicorn grazing hay on the side of
I10? No…or not yet. But, throughout the
course of a day in which I set the intention
and tune in my attention to being
open seeing or hearing all things unicorns,
they show up. For example, a picture
that a friend of a friend was tagged
in on FaceBook is a picture of a unicorn.
Last weekend I stayed with a friend who
was gifting a pair of unicorn slippers to
another friend of hers, and then yesterday
I overheard a stranger’s conversation
in which she mentioned unicorns.
“We see that which
we believe”
So, perhaps this is the year you release
resolutions and goals and begin to set intentions.
If you want to put your toe in
the water, so to speak, begin with playing
the unicorn game. And no, it does not
have to be a unicorn, set your intention to
seeing whatever resonates with you. One
coaching client of mine set her intention
to seeing angels, another client set her intention
to noticing any act of kindness by
her husband.
Set your intention, tune your attention
towards your desire, and then be
wide open to allowing the “unicorn” to
reveal itself in unexpected ways.
LeNae Goolsby, JD
is a Personal
Empowerment Life
Coach and the
Practice Administrator for Infinite Health
Integrative Medicine Center. She is also an
adored wife, blessed mother of three
awesome and amazing kids, and an
infinite being in a body working on
counting her blessings at every stoplight.
Keeping your baby happy
is hard enough.
Let us help make health care simpler for you.
For example, unlimited visits to a wide network
of doctors in your area.
Like warm crisp linens right out of the
dryer is the energy that comes with a fresh
new year. Possibilities and boundless potential
arrive ready to be pursued as goals
and resolutions are set with renewed vigor.
“This is the year…,” we say. “This is the
year I lose the weight, I get the job, I find
the love, I clear the clutter,” we vow to the
universe, ourselves, or anyone else who
may be listening. It’s all very exciting until
February taunts us with discounted creamy
milk chocolate confectionaries in tow.
By this time most of us have released
Inherent in every intention and
desire is the mechanics for its
fulfillment . . . intention and desire,
in the field of pure potentiality,
have infinite organizing power.
And when we introduce an
intention in the fertile ground of
pure potentiality, we put this i
nfinite organizing power
to work for us.
~ Deepak Chopra
this reason.
In addition to expressing gratitude for
at least ten things everyday, on the way to
school the boys and I bless our day with
the qualities and experiences we intend
to have in the day. For fun, I will not infrequently
throw in something random like
unicorns.
I began doing this process after reading
Pam Grout’s book entitled, E-Squared:
9 Do-it-Yourself Energy Experiments That
Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality.
One of the nine experiments requires
Call Bayou Health at 1-855-BAYOU-4U to
choose UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.
Or visit UHCCommunityPlan.com for more information.
Rides to and from
your doctor.
Healthy First Steps:
Get extra support
after your baby
is born.
Wide choice of
doctors and
hospitals.
©2015 United Healthcare Services, Inc. All rights reserved.
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

SWLA
Contributed Article
The Biggest Night of the Year
for Gospel Music on the Local Scene
The 2015 19th Annual “Lake Area” Gospel
Music Honors took place on Saturday,
December 5th at 6:00 p.m. at Faith Temple
Church of God in Christ. The Gospel Music
Honors, founded in 1996 by Larry W. Robinson,
is an awards celebration designed to
honor local citizens in various communities
for their contributions to the preservation
of the message and presentation methods
of Gospel music. Not long ago, KPLC’s Cynthia
Arceneaux called it, “The Biggest Night
of the Year for Gospel Music on the Local
Scene.” This year 18 trophies were presented.
Some of the winners include: Traditional
Male Vocalist - Brandon Stutes; Pastoral
Vocalist - Pastor Mary Guidry-Ringo; Victor
Green Music Excellence Award - Nicole
Malveaux Hall; Gospel Full-Length CD of
the Year - Relationship by Cathy Banks. Visit
www.gospelmusichonors.com to view a full
list of this year’s honorees.
Speaking of the Gospel Music Honors,
International Worship Artist, Kevin Riley
traveled from Little Rock, Arkansas to be a
special guest presenter of the 2015 celebration.
Riley’s current musical project is titled
Restored for Worship. It features songs like
In Awe of You, So Amazing, The Anthem
and Love Made, Love Gave, Love Saved! Restored
for Worship by Kevin Riley is available
wherever great Gospel music is sold or visit
www.kevinrileymusic.com.
Another national Gospel recording artist
visited the Lake Area. On Thursday, December
31, 2015 Zacardi Cortez came to
United Christian Fellowship for their New
Year’s Eve Concert. Zacardi’s best-selling
Gospel music single is titled 1 on 1 from his
current project Reloaded. During UCF’s end
of the year concert, Zacardi was joined by
UCF Men of Standard, Vessels of Worship,
Purpose and other musical ministries for the
church. Doors opened for the event at 9:15
p.m. and admission was FREE!
On the national Gospel scene, The 31st
Annual Stellar Awards will take place on Saturday,
February 20, 2016 at the Orleans Area
in Las Vegas, NV. “The Chicago-based Central
City Productions, Inc. (CCP) produces
the Stellar Gospel Music Awards. It has been
31 years since the first awards show was
taped at the Arie Crown Theater in Chicago,
and the Stellar Awards has now become the
premier Gospel event that recognizes and
honors African American artists. This one
of a kind award show has showcased top
Gospel artists and many television and film
stars.” Visit www.thestellarawards.com to secure
a ticket and to obtain other pertinent
information on the Stellar Awards.
In the next issue, we will discover some
local Gospel recording artists making a buzz
on the national scene. In the meantime, visit
www.gospelupdates.com for more updates
in the world of Gospel.
Music
Excellence
Award to
Nicole
Malveaux
Hall and
Gospel CD of
the Year to
Cathy Banks
(in red dress)
GO Group Releases
Year-End Progress Update
Karen Clapp,
GO Group Director
In mid-December, the
Southwest Louisiana Task Force
for Growth and Opportunity
(GO Group) released a progress
report to the community outlining
the group’s accomplishments
in 2015.
According to GO Group Director
Karen Clapp, the group’s
focus spans the five parishes of
the region and revolves around
capitalizing on the benefits of
growth, while reducing any potential
impacts. “Currently, economic
investment in the area
totals $97 billion dollars, with
over $40 billion of construction
activities already underway.
As these industrial expansion
projects reach the construction
phase, significant population
increases are expected
– impacting our community
in more ways than one,” says
Clapp. “Transportation infrastructure,
housing affordability
for current residents who have
become displaced as a result of
demand for temporary housing,
and the development of
a local, skilled workforce are
only a handful of issues the GO
Group has worked to address,
and will continue working to
address,” she says.
The GO Group also has a
long-term focus, one Clapp
says is where it’s concentrated
most of its work over the past
year. “Our long-term focus has
been on determining how to
develop our area in a way that
promotes sensible and sustainable
growth over the next
20-30 years,” says Clapp. “It’s
about being proactive in welcoming
this growth, not reactive.
To accommodate growth
in years’ past, we’ve added on
to this system or that system
rather than taking a holistic approach
to change, looking at
how we can make something
better instead of adding on to
systems that just don’t work
anymore,” she says. “The hard
decisions are being made now
to make large-scale change
that will drive efficiency. We’re
questioning everything from
how our schools and airports
are structured to researching
policies that will encourage development
without impacting
drainage or increasing flooding
issues.”
With regard to the GO
Group’s accomplishments this
year, Clapp outlines several
items of note. In February, the
GO Group announced the addition
of Clapp to its team – the
first full-time hire for the organization.
In her role as GO Group
Director, Clapp is responsible
for implementing responses
to various economic, housing,
and employment reports, and
coordinating efforts of public
and community organizations.
The City of Lake Charles and
the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury
fund the Director position for
the GO Group.
In March, the GO Group
announced the formation of
four task forces under its umbrella
to begin working on
long-term solutions to many
of the issues identified in the
November 2014 release of
the Sasol-funded Southwest
Louisiana Regional Impact
Study. The task forces formed
include: Growth Planning
(Brent Lumpkin, Chair); Public
Service Improvements (Mary
Kaye Eason, Chair); Education
and Workforce Development
(Ann Knapp, Chair); and Special
Community Related Initiatives
(Rick Richard, Chair). Those
who serve on the task forces
represent a broad subset of the
general population.
In the scope of their work,
GO Group task forces have engaged
the leaders of local organizations
to learn more about
each’s mission and operations.
Examples of those that have
been engaged at various levels
include Sasol, Lake Charles
Regional Airport, Chennault
International Airport, and the
Calcasieu Parish School Board.
According to Clapp, growing
the GO Group task forces to
the point of comprehensively
understanding how and why
things operate as they do was
of critical importance – one of
the most important accomplishments
of the year. “Education
of these citizen-run
task forces is not only optional,
but mandatory,” she says. “We
must arm our local residents
and business leaders with information
about why our community
operates as it does so
that when making recommendations
on how things can be
made better, they are aware of
the history of how it’s evolved
to this point and why it needs
to be changed.” According
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

to Clapp, building that educational
foundation and momentum
has been the group’s
greatest accomplishment to
date. “Understanding the possibilities
that exist for change
in our area is exciting, but hav-
ABOUT
THE
SWLA
ing the opportunity to share
those ideas with our community
and incorporate their input
and feedback into the final
product is even more exciting,”
says Clapp. “Our task forces are
almost to the point of beginning
to engage the community
on their recommendations.”
According to Clapp, “Never
in the recent history of Southwest
Louisiana have as many
individuals been engaged in
evaluating how our region
needs to adapt to significant
change in order to ensure beneficial
outcomes over the long
term. What’s even more impressive
is the fact that every
local city and town, along with
the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury
and the leadership of other
parishes, is engaged and interested
in how we can emerge
from this growth better and
stronger – making the necessary
changes to foundational
establishments to get to where
we need to be,” she says. Now
is the time for change.
The GO Group, formed in early 2013, is
focused on developing strategies to ensure
the successful implementation of planned
economic development projects for
Southwest Louisiana. It was formed by local
community leaders, stakeholders, and
elected officials to identify the various
socioeconomic issues involved with such
projects. For more information on the
GO Group, visit www.gogroupswla.com.
A list of the goals adopted by each task
force to-date are listed as follows:
Growth Planning
1. Identify the desired geographic areas for
future growth based upon infrastructure,
schools, flood plains, etc. that influence
decision makers to adequately plan for growth
2. Improve our land development approval
processes across all jurisdictions by unifying
both our facilities as well as codes and
standards
3. Ensure that all future plans and standards
for regional growth comprehensively address
alternative forms of mobility including air,
mass transit, pedestrian, and cyclists
Public Service Improvements
1. Identify ways to increase efficiencies at area
airports including Lake Charles Regional and
Chennault
2. Improve drainage services and systems
3. Improve the reliability and service capacity
of water providers in Southwest Louisiana
4. Improve wastewater practices throughout
Southwest Louisiana
5. Maintain current levels of fire protection
and improve/maintain current fire rating
Education & Workforce
Development
1. Support the establishment of a master plan
for Calcasieu Parish Schools, in addition to
other school systems in the surrounding areas
2. Determine whether a realignment of
curriculum offerings and industry needs may
be needed in local school systems
3. Determine how this group can support the
statewide effort to change attitudes and perceptions
regarding vocational and technical
careers
Special Community
Related Initiatives
1. Identify and meet social services/
community development/cultural
development needs
2. Ensure that GO Group communications/
civic engagement efforts are sufficient and
properly support “communitydriven change”
initiatives
“A Person is
a Person”
By Ana Lisa
One of my absolute favorite books is
Horton Hears a Who! By Dr. Seuss. It has
one core thought; “A person is a person,”
no matter how small and insignificant they
may seem.
I grew up in the Island of Puerto Rico,
blind and unknowing to cultural and racial
differences. We had one simple understanding
of race and ethnic roots being
White, Black, and Indian. There was no
visible separation in our culture and we
more or less viewed ourselves as a tanned
Boricua, meaning “The Island was called
Boriquen by the Natives and thus, Puerto
Ricans called themselves Boricuas.”
Southwest
Louisiana is rapidly
growing, expanding and
attracting many individuals from
various races, cultures and areas.
Throughout 2016, Ana Lisa will
explore and spotlight ‘Melting Pot’ experiences
in this monthly article to share how family, faith,
food, fun and football is bringing
us all together in SWLA.
I moved to the States and experienced
my first encounter of cultures and races being
viewed as separate and different. Now
that I live in the wonderful melting pot of
Southwest Louisiana, I have found comfort
here. Yes, there is a visible separation, but
all the same it is “C’est Bon child,” meaning
“It’s all good”.
The Croods is a computer animated
movie, by Dream Works and distributed by
20th Century Fox, about a family forced
to change their views from “curiosity is bad
and new things are bad and can kill you”
to “new and different can be good.” Our
survival as a people depends on different
experiences and trying new things. If being
different is celebrated and not condemned,
your entire perspective can change about a
person. Just open your mind and heart to a
new and different someone or something.
For instance, you walk into a waiting room
at a doctor’s office. There are ten chairs
with seven people seated. Three chairs are
vacant and available with one next to an
African American, another next to a Hispanic
and one next to a Middle Easterner,
seemingly dressed like a Muslim.
Where do you sit? Would you opt not to
sit at all? Even in this twenty first century,
these are reality considerations. Think how
great it would be to have a conversation
with all three? You may even learn that you
are not that different at all.
Different, Pa3Hble, Diferan, Différentes,
Diferente! It is a Blessing, Not a Curse!
JANUARY 2016 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 6 Volume 3 • Number 6 VOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM JANUARY 2016

Pick up your copy
of The Voice of SWLA
while you’re out and
about.
Here’s a few locations
where you’ll find us:
LAKE CHARLES
Pitt Grill
Zeus
Spring Hill Marriot
Holiday Inn
Busy Bee
Albertson’s
Gatti’s
MOSS BLUFF
Peto’s
Market Basket
Fox’s Pizza
SULPHUR
Hollier’s
Stine Lumber
Quaker Steak & Lube
SPAR
VINTON
Cash Magic Casino
LOCAL NEWS, EVENTS, STORIES & PEOPLE
www. 4zacks .com
Everything for trailers & trailers for everything
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337-626-9925 • 115 S. CITIES SERVICE • SULPHUR
UTEC
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Truck Cranes • Tool Boxes • Fabrication • Big Truck P & B
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Variety Gift Shop
Specializing
in Fashion
Jewelry
1822 Horridge St. • Vinton, La.
337.589.5600
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Contact Agnes Ceaser
BUILDERS SAV-MOR
LUMBER & BUILDING SUPPLIES
Mon-Fri 7-5
For all your
building needs!
477-1311
1910 E. McNeese St. • Lake Charles, LA
Joseph C. Duhon
Vice President / Branch Manager
Lake Charles & Grand Lake
Lake Charles (337) 477-8661
Fax (337) 477-1019
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