By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Bettie Nolan admits that she wasn’t very interested in going to college.
“I wanted to get married and have a family,” she said.
Little did she know that family would turn into 23 children many years later.
No, Nolan and her firefighter husband don’t have 23 children that are truly their own.
But the work she has done as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children has made her feel the same as if they all were hers.
Nolan became a CASA staff member eight years ago and has been so committed to the children assigned to her for court cases that she was recently named the Louisiana CASA Child Advocate of the Year.
Court Appointed Special Advocates are trained community volunteers who are the voice for abused and neglected children, helping judges determine what would be the best home situation for them in the midst of domestic cases.
Nolan said she was giving blood one day in 2002 when she saw Dr. Phil come on television and start talking about the need for CASA volunteers.
Nolan didn’t respond to the CASA call right away, but in 2008 when her 19-year-old granddaughter was killed in a single car accident on a rainy night she said it motivated her to find a way to do something for children—partly as a way she could do something in the memory of her granddaughter.
“I remembered the Dr. Phil show and got signed up to be a volunteer with CASA,” she recalls. “I knew our children have had a good life and I wanted to help other children have a good life too.”
“At the beginning I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I wondered if I could really help a child or not, especially once I began to understand that many are in very bad situations,” she said.
Her first case was a major test as she was assigned five children in a family, all under the age of 6. She handled that case well and since then has continued helping children, now viewed among the best CASA volunteers working in St. Tammany Parish and the state.
Slidell City Court Judge Jim Lamz wrote a recommendation letter on Nolan that he sent to the state CASA organization and noted how much she goes the extra mile with the children or teens she deals with.
“Ms. Nolan does not simply meet the children and their families and report the facts. She becomes a part of their lives and is someone upon whom the children can rely,” Lamz wrote.
Lamz said he views the CASA volunteers as working with a “purity of purpose,” only considering what is best for the child in every situation. He said Nolan is “an extraordinary CASA volunteer who is the personification of the ‘purity of purpose.’ These are very difficult and painful cases and it would make my job much more difficult if we didn’t have the CASA eyes and ears helping.”
Nolan is 66 years of age now, but shows no interest in ending her CASA work since she said the need to help children is so great.
“Most of the children I have been introduced to live a horrible existence and I’m trying to get them a better life and a better future,” she said. “The work I am doing gives me a sense of accomplishment since I can see it’s helping kids.”
She said it has not been unusual to visit homes where children are eating on the floor and have no table, chairs, shoes or toys. And unfortunately, CASA volunteers are not allowed to purchase any items for the children they are assigned to.
“That is one of the hardest things,” Nolan said. “When I walk in a room and a child runs to me with open arms I feel like their grandmother. That makes it very hard to know I can’t buy them toys or anything else.”
Although CASA volunteers are trained with the hope to not connect too personally with the children they are interviewing, Nolan said that is a near impossible task.
“Every one of these children becomes personal to me,” she said. “When I take a case I’m supposed to see the children a minimum of once a month for 11 months, but I usually feel a need to do more and visit many every week.
“The only thing that really helps these children is love and I can give them a lot of that,” she said. “I truly feel like I’m helping kids. To me, it’s an honor to get to help them and that’s why I call all of them ‘my’ kids.”
Nolan has dealt with 23 children in eight years and said she initially liked working with older kids, but now likes the younger ones since she said there is more of a chance to reach them.
“So many of the teens have had it so hard—sex abuse, physical abuse, neglect—that they are so hard to reach. I had one child who got very upset and started shaking every time either of his parents came in,” she said.
One case that has been special to Nolan was a 17-year-old girl who was very difficult to connect with.
“She didn’t want to talk at all,” Nolan said. “I was having such a hard time getting her to open up.”
So Nolan came up with an idea that ended up working.
“I used my cell phone and purposely turned the ringer off, then told the girl I didn’t know why it wasn’t ringing and asked if she would help me,” Nolan said. “Right away she agreed and started playing with the phone, which helped her start talking with me.
“I prayed for God to show me a way to reach her and He did,” she added. “That opened the door for the girl to talk to me and I was able to build a good relationship with her.”
Originally from Little Rock, Ark., Nolan moved to St. Charles Parish with her parents, then came to the North Shore the day that she graduated from high school. Although initially upset that her parents moved here, she quickly met a man who lived on the corner and it turned out to be the man she would marry.
Nolan and her husband have two children of their own, a son and daughter who both serve in the U.S. military, and have blessed her with four grandchildren.
CASA is always looking for more volunteers and anyone interested in more information about the work can call 985-893-6113 or go online to ysbworks.com.

Many of you, especially those who love football, may know the name Alan Risher.
He was a record-setting quarterback who played at LSU in the early 80s after graduating from Salmen High School in Slidell.
It just so happened I was the sports editor at the Slidell Sentry-News during the years that Alan played at Salmen, and I continued to cover sports in St. Tammany Parish throughout all of his career at LSU, then five seasons playing professional football.
Alan was an All-American football player in high school and was also a three-sport all-state player in baseball, basketball and football during his prep days before signing with LSU and having a career that still has his name in the record books, now over 30 years later.
He and I became friends during the many years I covered him, but then as he went into his professional life we lost touch other than the once in awhile meeting at an area event. Imagine my surprise a few years ago when my wife and I were enjoying a concert in Biloxi and Alan walks up behind me, taps me on the shoulder and says hello, with his longtime girlfriend Anita along with him.
Since then my wife and I have begun meeting the couple on the Gulf Coast every few months to go out together and have had a great time reuniting after all the years I wrote about Alan. It’s been a lot of fun becoming friends again after all these years.
This past weekend we all were together to see the Band Perry, a country group that many of you might know, and the next morning when Alan and I were hanging out together he told me a story that I never, heard in all the years I covered him. I thought it would be worthwhile to repeat it.
While many people—and I mean many—know Alan Risher to this day and recognize him in public, only the ones who live in the Slidell area know that Alan’s first taste of fame occurred when he was 8 years old, winning something called the Punt, Pass & Kick national title.
Many of you probably remember Punt, Pass & Kick, a contest sponsored by the National Football League that gave kids age 6-15 the chance to compete in a local contest, then advance all the way to the nationals.
When Alan was eight he was like most young kids who played little league football and dreamed of making it big one day. He remembers one Sunday afternoon after going to church that his friend’s father came by and said he was going to Slidell High to conduct the local Punt, Pass & Kick contest. Alan said he was wearing his church clothes, but went to the contest with his buddy, not expecting to enter since it cost $3 for the entry fee.
Fortunately, his friend’s dad paid for both boys to enter the contest and Alan said he won the local event, wearing his church clothes and shoes! That sent him to a district event where he won again. He continued to win at each of four divisions before ending up in Canton, Ohio for the national competition, which he won.
We both laughed about the fact he actually starting advancing by winning locally in his church clothes! It was obviously a sign the guy had a lot of ability that would later show itself with Alan leading Salmen High to its first state playoff berth in football, followed by more accolades and success in his football career than he probably ever dreamed about.
While playing as the starting quarterback for LSU for three years he led the Tigers to an upset win at Alabama and a Sugar Bowl victory. He then went on to play professionally for the Arizona Wranglers, followed by the Tampa Bay Bucs and Green Bay Packers. These days he is a business broker in Baton Rouge who still does color commentating for LSU football games on the radio.
He told me that the Punt, Pass & Kick victory, which he had to win at each level while representing the New Orleans Saints by wearing their uniform, brought a lot of pride to the hometown team and he was rewarded by going to numerous big football events.
At the nationals he got to hang out with some of the biggest names in the NFL during that time, such as Bart Starr and more. He and his dad, Knox Risher, were invited to the Super Bowl that was played in New Orleans one year, and they were flown to other big football events, all at the age of 8!
The surprising thing about the story he told me was that I’ve probably written several hundred stories on the guy and while I knew it all started for him as the national Punt, Pass & Kick winner, I never knew the details of that story.
He even said the city of Slidell put on a parade for him and he was honored with “Alan Risher Day” in Slidell.
Even though my buddy has had a lot of highlights in his career, it was clear the Punt, Pass & Kick victory is one he will never forget. After all, that’s where it all began for him.

Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – O’Neal Galloway likes to tell the story about his longtime friend, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Pat Canulette, and the experience he had buying a car from the Slidell dealership.
Galloway, owner/operator for O’Neal’s Automart at 1666 Old Spanish Trail, said that Canulette came in to buy a car from him a few years ago after he started the used car dealership in south Slidell.
“Pat bought a used car from me, but about three weeks later he came back and said there was a major problem with the engine,” Galloway said.
The result?
“I took it back from him, got him another car and never thought twice about it. That’s how I have sold cars from day one and it’s why people always come back to see us,” Galloway said.
“If you buy a car here we are going to do the right thing for you. If there is something that goes wrong after you buy it and we didn’t know about it, we’ll take care of it one way or another,” Galloway added.
That is how O’Neal Galloway has been operating his used car lot in Slidell ever since he got into the business close to 30 years ago.
Galloway worked for a handful of well-known car dealerships for nearly 30 years, then opened his own lot in 2011 in Slidell.
“Used cars are the hottest thing going now and the reason it has gotten to be that way is because a new car is so expensive,” Galloway pointed out. “It’s not unusual to spend between $27,000 and $40,000 for a new car today. Some of them go for $80,000 to $90,000—you can buy a small house for that.”
Galloway said his treatment of Canulette and others has been consistent, no matter who you are. And it’s the reason he has watched his business grow and succeed.
“Pat was so happy with what we did for him that he did a TV commercial for me, telling everyone how honest we were and that we took care of him,” Galloway said with a laugh. “That really gave the business a boost. Everyone came to see us after that.”
And since those early years he has seen the business do well thanks to treating his customer’s right, which has led to many referrals.
“We’ve sold to more judges, attorneys and doctors than I can count,” he said. “Used cars are hot now because they are reasonably priced, and we usually have at least 30 to 35 on the lot at any one time.”
Galloway said he has another way to find the right car or truck for you.
“If you want to come to the auto auction with me you can pick out what you want and have a great selection,” he said. “Sometimes people will pick four or five cars and we give them their choice. I buy mostly lease returns and many of them still have factory warranties.”
Galloway is a lifelong Slidell resident who attended Salmen High School, then worked a host of jobs in his early adult life, including one job that will always leave him with great memories.
“I was the bridge tender for 12 years over Bayou Liberty,” he said. “There were a lot of great stories from those days. People like John Brown and Pat Miramon would come through and usually tip me with a six pack of beer, or sometimes they pulled their boat to the shore and joined us for a card game inside.”
Galloway got the job since he inherited it from his mother, who was the bridge tender for 15 years.
After a seven year stint at Kaiser Aluminum ended when they laid off many workers during a downsizing, his longtime friend Garland Galatas suggested he try selling cars. That led him to the former Dan Quirk Ford dealership on Pontchartrain Drive, where he worked in the late 70s and learned all aspects of the business. From there he worked for Baldwin Lincoln Mercury in Covington before going on his own in 2011.
At the age of 63 he averages nearly 25 car sales a month and employs six people, who handle much of the day-to-day operation, while Galloway still makes the main decisions to keep the customers happy.
“We also have great local financing, sometimes as low as 1.9 percent,” he added. “We are definitely different and if you come here, it won’t be the price if you end up not buying. We take care of the people who buy cars or trucks from us.”
You can visit the lot at 1666 Old Spanish Trail or call for more information at 985-641-1246.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Cory Pratt isn’t pretending he is on the verge of greateness after starting his band only four years ago.
But he is doing all the right things to be prepared for that special opportunity that seems to come at the most unexpected times for working musicians.
Pratt is a determined, focused 28-year-old who has been playing music since the ninth grade and recently held a release party for the second CD produced by the Cory Pratt Band.
The CD, titled “Get In,” follows the debut CD from the three-member band that came out in Oct., 2014 entitled, “White Boy Jams.”
The Cutting Edge Theater in Slidell recently hosted a CD release party for the group, including the new single, “Never Say Never.” The performance featured Pratt doing the majority of lead vocals, playing rhythm and lead guitar and leading a talented group that easily pleased those in attendance.
Pratt is a longtime Slidellian who is following some of the usual roads many stars had to travel as they gained musical experience, then found their niche in the business.
After playing in junior high and high school bands, earning a scholarship to Loyola to play trumpet, the experience was only helping Pratt after he fell in love with pop and rock and roll.
“I actually formed my first band in the ninth grade,” he said before opening the set at Cutting Edge. “Blink-182 and Mr. Mister are probably two of the greatest influences to the music we play. But I’ve had a lot of influences that include rock, the 80’s pop and more.”
Pratt writes all the original material performed by the band, a huge difference compared to many regional bands that play mainly cover songs. Pratt’s band does do some cover songs as well, but also play all their original music with the hope they are heard by the right person one day who has connections to get them a break in the business.

Joining him in the band is bass player Avery Badlie and drummer Garrett Gekler, both whom have been with him since the Cory Pratt Band officially formed.
The band is building a reputation and has played a number of big events, including the Bayou Jam in front of several thousand people, as well as Arts Evening, plus gigs at the Howlin’ Wolf in New Orleans, the Greenroom in Covington and other Southeast Louisiana locations. They can be found playing locally at the Time Out Lounge and the Corner Pub.
“I can’t get anywhere by thinking about the end,” he said. “Now we’ve got two CDs and we are always putting on a good show and getting better. That’s what we have to do now to get improve and one day gets noticed.”
For more information on the band and to hear their music, go to their website at coryprattband.com.

Roen Hauck “Mickey”?Sabadie, of Slidell, passed away on Sunday, June 12, 2016, in Slidell.
She was 88 years old.
She was the beloved wife of the late Carlos “Rocky” Noel Sabadie; mother of Guy Sabadie (Rhonda), Chuck Sabadie (Kay), Roxanne Onstad (Ralph), and Wendy Garretson (David); daughter of the late George and Hazel Hauck; and sister of Anona Mae Labourdette, Kathryn Gonzales, and the late Elaine Theard.
She is also survived by 12 grandchildren (Rhett, Chad, R.J., Rachel, Ashley, Guy James, Blake, Gabby, Mary, Roen, Megan and Joshua), 11 great-grandchildren, and more on the way.
She was a native and longtime resident of New Orleans and a resident of Slidell since 2001. She worked at Acme Fast Freight as a young woman and as a sales associate in later years at Gus Mayer, Casual Village and Stuarts.
Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, 910 Crossgates Blvd. in Slidell, on Saturday, June 18 at 11 a.m.
Friends may visit at the church on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.
Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Rodney Joseph Faust, of Slidell, passed away on Sunday, June 12, 2016.
He was 84 years old.
He was the father of Sandra Maness (Hal), Gerald Faust and David Faust (Corinne); son of the late Emmett Faust and Edna Bayard Faust; brother of the late Emmett Faust, Rita Rizutto, Harold Faust, Gloria Catchot, Lloyd Faust, and Hazel Gilmore.
He is also survived by six grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
He was a resident of Slidell since 1967.
Memorial services were held at Northshore Baptist Church, 310 Kensington Blvd., Slidell, on June 15
Donations to Beam’s Bible Minstries or to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital, preferred, in lieu of flowers.
Bernice R. Boudreaux, of Slidell, went to be with the Lord on Monday, June 13, 2016.
She was 81 years old.
She was a school teacher, loving mother and wife, and a horticulturist who loved her roses.
Bernice is survived by her husband of 57 yrs Ernest Boudreaux, and her daughter Sharon Boudreaux.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, June 16 at 11 a.m. with visitation from 10 a.m. until service time at D.T. Williams Funeral Home, 67525 Hwy. 41, Pearl River.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister had a quick and swift response to yet another criticism of her government by the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany after comments were made that called her upper level staff salaries “top heavy.”
Brister and the St. Tammany Parish Council have become the favorite targets for criticism by the parish watchdog group known as CCST.

The organization went public in the past two months with two pages of questions for Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston after he sought a hefty pay raise. That followed months of a steady flow of questions and criticism aimed at Brister and the council in the fight to halt planned oil drilling near Abita Springs by Helis Oil.
Preston was approved for the raise from $84,000 to $138,000, a 64 percent increase that was supported because council members said they set the salary “intentionally low” after the former coroner was sent to jail for misusing public money, and they had no idea what kind of qualifications the new coroner would bring to the job. Preston has been on the job a little over two years before he asked for the raise.
CCST President Rick Franzo addressed the lengthy list of questions for Preston by claiming “we think the coroner is doing a good job, but “we are more concerned with the big picture of St. Tammany Parish public officials who are heading top heavy departments where far too many people are raking in excessive public dollars.”
Franzo wrapped up his feelings about the parish jobs by saying “Government jobs are now a way to soak the taxpayers. Our concern for the coroner is to not become like the other parish departments.”
When Brister read the story she responded by saying, “the increase in the department’s budget is in line with the rate of inflation, population growth and adjustments for cost of living. The changes have been reasonable and measured.”
Brister provided statistics showing the parish government has grown from a budget of $116 million in 2011 to $133 million in 2016 and said the parish even sought an outside evaluation of salaries to be certain they were fair and competitive.
“Parish government’s salaries were validated by an outside consultant two years ago as being competitive with private sector jobs and other government agencies of equal size. Evaluations were done all the way down to the specific discipline level,” she added.
However, it was also the size of the parish budget that was criticized as part of an ongoing campaign CCST has to get many public agencies to lower their millage. St. Tammany currently has one of the highest overall millage totals of any parish in the state and Parish Assessor Louis Fitzmorris is encouraging the public to get involved in the annual millage forums for each agency.
Brister announced on Monday that the parish will not seek higher millages for the coming year, but will accept the adjusted millages from the assessor’s office, which usually bring in additional dollars due to increased property values.
Brister brought her message of accomplishments by the parish to a breakfast meeting in front of the East St. Tammany Chamber this past week, and highlighted one success story after another. She made sure to bring along a handful of her top executives, introducing them to the audience and complimenting them for an outstanding job.
“We have an outstanding staff and I don’t know how we could get so much done without them,” she added.
Brister updated business leaders on some of the key projects in the works for the parish, including the Performing Arts Center in Covington, the tech school in Lacombe, Safe Haven in Mandeville, the fishing pier in Slidell and a new venture to improve the appearance of the parish.
The Performing Arts Center in Covington will be constructed just off I-12 at Hwy. 21 and will include the main theater, along with a Children’s Museum and a boardwalk with trails along the Tchefuncta River that is on the edge of the property donated by the Bruce Wainer family.
“We couldn’t have done this without the Wainer family being so generous with the land,” Brister said. “We are currently looking at a design phase in 2018 and ribbon cutting in 2020.”
The St. Tammany Advanced Campus, a vocational-technical school being built in Lacombe on Hwy. 434, is a much-anticipated facility that will allow students to earn certifications in a host of careers without attending a four year college. The 30,000 square foot facility is expected to be open by this October.
“This is something we have missed in St. Tammany and in Louisiana—the need for more students to gain special skills since not all want college or are able to go,” she added.
Safe Haven (see story on page 1A today about a public meeting held Tuesday night) is moving forward to open in the former buildings known as the Southeast Louisiana Mental Health Hospital in Mandeville. After the parish purchased the property from the state, Brister and her staff have been working diligently on many different aspects of the mental health services that will be offered there, including what she calls a “one stop shop” that includes an emergency clinic for anyone needing immediate assistance in a crisis.
The parish president said St. Tammany is close to applying for designation as a Keep St. Tammany Beautiful organization, which will give the parish six of the “Keep Beautiful” groups out of 40 in the state. She said she has already set up a contract with the Sheriff’s Office to use trustee labor to pick up litter, and the parish has purchased a van and trailer to operate 40 hours a week.
“We will start by the end of the summer and mainly respond to the calls we get since it is unfortunate that so many people still litter and that is the number one call we get complaints about,” Brister said.
Phase II of the St. Tammany Fishing Pier in Slidell, located on the north end of the Twin Span, will go out for bids soon and enlarge that operation to add restrooms, more shade areas, pic tables and food vendors.
A construction project to widen Hwy. 11 in Slidell from Pontchartrain Drive to the lake is moving forward with more scheduled meetings for environmental assessment planned June 23 at 5 p.m. at Salmen High. Brister said that Aug. 10 is the date to announce the project for bids.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Extensive renovation work still to be done at the former Southeast Louisiana Hospital will slow the opening for the planned Safe Haven facility in St. Tammany Parish, a site that will offer a “one stop shop” for mental health services.
Representatives with the master planning company Kurt Salmon on Tuesday night unveiled six months of work on a master plan for Safe Haven that will initially cost the parish approximately $5.5 million to open.
Plans call for almost 18 months of renovation to buildings on the site purchased by the parish, due largely to very old facilities that have asbestos.
The first services will be available within a year on a small basis with a drop in center for anyone in crisis, followed by 50 percent of the services available by 2018, and the entire Phase I facility open by the end of 2019.
Safe Haven is a response to the growing cry for improved mental health services in St. Tammany, an area of health care that has been lacking since Hurricane Katrina when many providers left the area, and the need for the services increased in the emotional fallout from the devastating hurricane in August, 2005.
Parish President Pat Brister has been a champion for finding a solution to the problem that has included a spotlight on increasing suicide numbers in the parish for the past 10 years.
On Tuesday at the Southeast Louisiana site in Mandeville, close to 80 people showed up to hear the details of the plan developed by the Kurt Salmon group.
When Safe Haven is completely open it is expected to offer a comprehensive site in St. Tammany Parish for complete mental health services, including the much-needed “drop in center” that will eventually be open 24/7 for anyone in a crisis situation.
One of the components displayed in the information presented by Kurt Salmon Senior Manager Leslie Marshburn was the crisis intervention center that will be a 25,500 square foot facility. It will have two entrances, one that is for law enforcement drop off, patients from local emergency rooms or walk-in patients.
A triage facility will be prepared for any patients with social detox, medical detox and psyche services. From there, the completed facility will offer complete services that include extensive followup.
NAMI of St. Tammany, the local division for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, already operates from the former Southeast Louisiana Hospital site, but will take on an increasing role in Safe Haven, operating several phases that include the walk-in center, various mental health services and group housing.
Family Promise of St. Tammany will also play a role in the center, along with independent living facilities. There is already a mental health services company operating in one building on the site after the parish sold a portion of the facility to Northlake Behavioral Health, which provides a host of mental health services.
Brister headed the meeting that was attended by a host of public officials, interested stakeholders in the overall plan, and parish residents. The parish bought Southeast Hospital in 2012 when the state said it was closing the local facility.
“When we heard that news we initially thought it was a curse,” Brister said. “But now it is turning into a blessing and has given us a new beginning to provide our residents with a one-stop shop for mental health assistance they need.”
Marshburn said the research done by her group showed that one in five people nationally has a mental health condition and 40 percent of those people never get treatment. In St. Tammany, 19 percent of the arrests here have a mental health component, with 65 percent of the inmates having substance abuse problems. She said that Safe Haven will greatly change those numbers and save the parish millions of dollars in the process.
Kurt Salmon estimates Safe Haven could safe $3.2 million by having individuals not go to the emergency room so much, it could save as much as $6.9 million with jail costs since many people will get the proper help rather than be incarcerated, and it could save $1.8 million in health care costs by individuals getting earlier help.
Brister said the parish will pay for the initial $5.5 million in renovations in part by selling some of the Southeast Louisiana property, which they did to Northlake for $6.7 million, as well as selling land to Pelican Park nearby.
Researchers are drawing a lot of ideas from the San Antonio, Tex. Haven for Hope facility that is seen as a model nationally where they have diverted over 100,000 people since 2003 from jail or emergency rooms with their facility.
Parish leaders have been searching for answers to the mental health problem that include finding a better solution for many individuals who have been arrested and sent to jail, when they actually needed mental health services.
One couple in the audience asked if there would be help for their son, who is now incarcerated after an accident that sent him to jail when they said their son needed mental health services from early on.

SLIDELL – The Slidell Independent was honored with 23 awards at the annual Louisiana Press Association “Better Newspaper Contest” held this past Saturday in Lake Charles.
The Independent won the Advertising Sweepstakes as the best advertising newspaper in the state, while also bringing home six first place awards among the 23 honors.
Graphic designer Brittany Livaccari, who has worked with the newspaper since it began in January, 2009, was single-handedly responsible for the paper receiving the Advertising Sweepstakes award as she won 10 individual awards, including three first place honors for her work on local ads.
Livaccari won a first place for Staff Generated Black & White ad, Best Ad Campaign and Best Retailer Ad, while also taking three second place awards and four honors for third place.
The Independent earned first place in the state for Best News Coverage, led by Kevin Chiri who had two individual first place awards for Best News Story and Best Continuing Coverage of a Single News Event, along with a second place award and four honors for third place.
Betsy Swenson received a second place award for Best Regular Column and Chrissy Smith received a third place award for Best News Story.
Jennifer Weisheit earned a third place for Best Front Page design and the newspaper was also honored with a third place for General Excellence.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – It doesn’t take much to look around Slidell and see the benefit of the Leadership Northshore program that is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The program was started in 1990 when it was called Leadership Slidell and offers community leaders an intense course that encompasses a broad scope of community topics and concerns.
But most impressive with the program has been the yearly projects. Normally with 20 to 25 enrollees for each class, the members are broken into smaller groups that must all create a project that “leaves a lasting community effect.”
After 25 years of those projects, now totaling well over 100 in all, the impact of Leadership Northshore on the Slidell area is impossible to miss.
The 26th class is now signing up for what they plan to be a special year as they start their second 25 years of training and educating Slidell’s up-and-coming leaders. For more information on how to sign up for the next nine month class, go online to leadershipnorthshore.com.
It was former Slidell Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Irma Cry who hit on the idea for a Leadership program here.
Cry, the Slidell Chamber director from 1981 to 1999, said she had gone to a meeting of other Chamber leaders in the state and heard about a Leadership-type program in big cities.
“Places like Shreveport, Alexandria, Baton Rouge and Lafayette had a program and although Slidell was certainly a much smaller city, I thought we should do it,” she recalled.

But Cry said it took five years of urging the Chamber board to take it on before they finally agreed, holding the first Leadership Slidell program in 1990 with 20 students who all paid $750 each to take part.
The program is intensive for any business leader who commits to it. Not only do they have to attend nine, all-day sessions during the nine months, learning about topics such as Slidell history, education, media, the judicial system, state government, economic development and more, but they must break into small groups that have to create and implement a lasting community project.
In Slidell, some of the more memorable ones are the painted Pelicans that are now public art all over the city, the Kids Unlimited Playground built at Salmen Park for handicapped children (at a cost of over $250,000), the Slidell Pumpkin Fest, the Slidell Jazz & Blues Festival, a Veterans parade, the Camellia City Market and on and on.
“There have been so many great projects that have done so much for Slidell,” Cry said. “It has given us so many good things to see in Slidell and enhanced the city immeasurably.”
Cheri Carter has taken over the reins as director of the organization now after going through the course and gaining an appreciation for what it has meant to the community. She was equaled impressed with the contribution to the area through the projects for 25 years.
“I am amazed that after all of this time new and innovative projects are created every year. As every graduate will tell you, the projects are hard work, but well worth it. It is how each student learns how to be a leader in the community and how things work from a nonprofit perspective,” Carter said. “They learn from the ground up what it takes to assist the nonprofit organizations in our community.”
But getting that first class off the ground was the challenge for Cry, something that she pressed for five years with the board before getting approval.
“I finally got a Lafayette Chamber executive to come talk to our board,” she said. “Pat Berrigan became very interested as did our chairman at the time, Rick Schwarz, and that got it going.”
Creating the curriculum was a big job since Cry had to find numerous local public officials and business leaders willing to give a day out of their schedule to teach the class. Each year the curriculum teachers must be set up for the class to function and teach the members the workings of the local community.
“The curriculum hasn’t changed much since we started,” Cry said. “But it was a lot to get it created at the beginning.”
A big help to Cry was Dr. Joan Archer, an area educator who became one of the biggest supporters of the program and has been instrumental for 25 years in keeping Leadership Northshore on track, producing the same quality community projects year-after-year that it started with. Mark Meyers has also been one of the key members of Leadership from its early years.
“Of course, it hasn’t all been great projects that we still see,” Cry said. “I remember one of the first years when a class decided to landscape the interstate exit ramps for people coming into Slidell. They did all this work to finish the project, then the state came through and mowed right over all of them.”
Cry said that it was she and Archer who added the projects in the second year since “we felt the program needed something that would contribute to the community.”
Surprisingly, Slidell is the only Leadership program now operating in the state that includes projects as part of the yearly curriculum.
Looking back at 25 years, Cry said the program has given her a great amount of personal satisfaction to see what it has accomplished.
“I always believed in my life that we have to give back—kind of what you pay to live on this Earth,” she said. “Looking at 25 years of projects, it’s unbelievable to see what these classes have done—and it keeps happening every year.
“For me, I knew this would be good for the community and it has given me a good feeling in my heart to know I’ve had a hand in doing this for our community,” she added.
Tuition for the class is now $1,100 for the year.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Customers with CLECO can expect to see a substantial credit on their bills starting sometime in July, said a local official with the electric company.
Eric Schouest, general manager of government affairs with CLECO, announced to members of the East St. Tammany Chamber during a recent breakfast meeting that the credit for local customers will be $475 per meter.
CLECO recently sold the company to private investors with British Columbia Investors, Macquarie Infrastructure and John Hancock Financial all purchasing the electric company for $4.9 billion.
As part of the sale, which changes the company from being publicly held to becoming a private company, the Public Service Commission ordered the company to give customers a credit.
“This will not be a check coming in the mail,” Schouest explained. “But it will be a credit on your bill that will allow you to get a month or two of not paying the electric bill. You can spend the money locally or keep what you would have paid on your bill for that time.”
Schouest said that the advantage for CLECO in becoming a private company is that the three new owners bring a huge resource to the company in terms of available cash for expansion and improvements.
Additionally, he said, the sale included a guarantee that rates will remain stable for at least five years for consumers.

We all say it: What a small world.
It happened when I was in Tennessee on vacation and came walking down one of their magnificent hills on a hike. Suddenly I heard, “Kevin, Kevin Chiri, is that you?”
Yes, I had that happen one time in Gatlinburg.
And it’s not unusual at all to have it happen in New Orleans or the Gulf Coast.
This past weekend while spending time on the Gulf Coast with my favorite person—yes, that means my wife of 40 years—we were having lunch and my wife was curious about the accent of the woman serving our table. After asking where she was from, she said, “New York,” which is where my wife and I are both originally from. Then she said she was from a small town in upstate New York—Geneva. That happens to be about 25 miles north of where my wife grew up.
So that entire set-up was to tell you another “it’s a small world story.”
My daughter got an e-mail to our main news desk recently saying the following:
“I returned to Slidell High School recently for my 40th class reunion, and found a paper at a coffee shop. There is a reporter/photographer named Kevin Chiri in the paper. When I was in Slidell 40 years ago, there was a Kevin Chiri then who reported on me quite often for sports. Is this the same guy? If it is, I thought he’d like to know who my son is….Jonathan Papelbon, who is a major league pitcher (which is what Kevin used to report on me when I pitched for SHS)!!”
The e-mail came from a woman named Sheila Papelbon, formerly Sheila Serich, who was an outstanding athlete in her day at Slidell High, playing every sport for girls before graduating in 1976. As soon as I heard her name I remembered her quite well.
I was stunned to find out she is the mother of Jonathan Papelbon, an 11-year veteran in the major leagues who is now pitching with the Philadelphia Phillies. I happen to be a huge major league baseball fan—sorry Sheila but I have followed the San Francisco Giants since I was about 8 years old.
But I love baseball in general and actually record every game so I can watch 162 Giants games every year. It’s one of the highlights of my day to sit down late at night and watch my boys.
So it was incredible to hear that a young teen I covered 40 years ago is the mother of a huge star. Sheila went on to tell me that she has been married for 37 years and has a set of twin boys, Jeremy and Josh, who also played college baseball and were drafted in the major leagues.
I know baseball pretty well and I’m wondering about the rest of the story she didn’t tell me—who the heck is Mr. Papelbon???? He must have been one heckuva athlete in his own right.
For those who remember Sheila, she now lives in St. Augustine, Fla. after leaving the area in 1990 and she has worked in banking for 36 years, now with the Bank of New York Mellon for the past 21 years.
And by the way, she sent over a memory book that was full of clippings from when the Slidell Sentry-News covered her in sports. It’s something I know goes on today just as much as ever—for those people who actually believe “people don’t read newspapers anymore.”
Thanks so much for the e-mail Sheila and tell your son that I’m sorry the Giants are going to win the World Series again this year—it’s an even year. (Inside joke for those who follow baseball.)

—-

Got to give a shout out to Gena Eirich, wife of Ross Eirich, who is the owner and chef for Nathan’s restaurant, and also Nick’s Sports Bar & Grill, recently opened for business on Pontchartrain Drive next to the Winn Dixie.
Nick’s was the host site last Friday for the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and its breakfast meeting when Parish President Pat Brister was the guest speaker.
I was sitting in the back and Gena, who does a little of everything in support of the family business with Ross, was hustling all around when she noticed a large container of orange juice was almost out near the buffet line.
She took off the top, starting to pour a half gallon of orange juice in when they began saying the Pledge of Allegiance at the meeting. Gena showed her true colors by continuing to pour the orange juice left handed, putting down the top to the container and then putting her hand over her heart to say the Pledge along with everyone else.
I was a bit behind her at a table where I saw the whole thing and just thought, “wow, that says a lot about a person.”
Gena and Ross have always been among my favorite people in town, and certainly folks I appreciate as longtime supporters of the local paper.
Make sure to stop in for a meal at Nick’s or Nathan’s soon, and tell them you read this story and thought they deserved an extra patron for the patriotism of the co-owner!

Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Chuck Sabadie is a problem solver—through business.
The Slidell businessman has had more success than most people could ever dream about, building and selling several huge companies during his lifetime.
Now heading Eldercare La., LLC in Slidell he is ready to embark on another new company that will positively provide a service many families need.
The Institute of College Funding expects to open its doors shortly after the first of July and will assist parents in funding college tuition and other fees for their children, particularly dealing with the federal loan forms known as FAFSA—the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Any parent who has ever had a student attend college is familiar with FAFSA, and most cringe just hearing the acronym since the federal application form is so detailed and time-consuming to fill out, frequently still leaving parents or students missing some important information or worse yet, providing more information than they need.
“That’s right,” Sabadie said. “Many parents actually provide more information than they should and it hurts their loan application, perhaps getting them a higher interest rate or not allowing them to get as much money as they could.”
Sabadie will open the Institute of College Funding after teaming with several experts in the field, particularly Nick Randazzo, a Pope John Paul graduate who deals with all aspects of college funding through his own company, North Shore Capital Planning.
Sabadie said that Randazzo will host free localseminars for parents and students to attend, where they will learn more about preparing for college, particularly addressing topics such as determining the best school to attend, what degrees to seek that will provide the best job opportunities, how to get accepted into the college of your choice, and most importantly, how to pay for college.
Sabadie came up with the idea for the Institute of College Funding because of his own personal situation.
“My son has four children and was talking to me recently about the difficulty in trying to pay for college for all those kids,” he said. “I immediately knew we needed a business that could offer those answers for him and for others.”
The Institute of College Funding will operate out of the newly-rebuilt building located at 1929 Second St. in Olde Towne, the former site for the Sunrise on Second restaurant that had burned to the ground. Now completely rebuilt it is split into two commercial office buildings. Sabadie purchased the building and will run the Institute of College Funding on one side, while a Mass Mutual financial services office will operate from the other side—providing other answers for those who are addressing financial issues, especially college funding.
Sabadie has been in financial planning and services his entire life, building several very successful businesses both here and in California before selling them. He opened Eldercare La. in 2011 with associate Jay Badeaux now heading that business, along with Mike Peterson and Amber Andre.
Sabadie said he will transition to work with his son, Rhett Sabadie, in the Institute of College Funding after his son has spent his provessional career in financial services and working with a CPA firm.
“Rhett has great experience in the area of taxes, and that goes hand-in-hand with knowing how to fill out the FAFSA forms,” Sabadie explained. “And the service to help fill out FAFSA forms is free.”
Sabadie said “most parents are ill prepared to fill out the FAFSA forms and frequently list too much information. Parents don’t understand how they can be hurt by doing the forms without expert guidance.”
Since parents need current tax forms to fill out FAFSA forms, the new business will combine tax services, something more vital than ever since Sabadie said the federal government has just changed the rules and FAFSA forms can be filled out as early as October before the next fall semester in school. Currently, FAFSA forms can’t be turned in until January.
Sabadie made one other clear point to highlight the need for the Institute of College Funding.
“Our school counselors need help since they are the main ones who have some knowledge of how to do FAFSA forms,” he said. “Currently there are 62 students to every school counselor in St. Tammany Parish. Clearly it will be difficult to get a lot of time with those counselors if you need extra help.”
Eldercare La. will continue to offer assistance with information for home health services, going a step further by combining financial guidance and legal advice to those facing retirement, or younger men and women who want to properly manage their money with retirement down the road. They also have assistance for veterans, who can frequently get special funding for assisted care or nursing home services.
For more information on any of the topics mentioned, contact Sabadie at 985-718-4191 or e-mail him at chucksabadie@gmail.com.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Five area students were honored with $1,000 scholarships from the East St. Tammany Chamber during the annual education luncheon held each summer.
St. Tammany Schools Superintendent Trey Folse was the guest speaker at the event, updating business leaders on the progress of the public school system, where he noted they are now serving over 38,000 children.
“There is no harder job today than being the principal of a school and we have many outstanding principals leading our schools,” Folse said.
The Chamber selects five area students each year for scholarships, and honors one teacher who is named the “Educator of the Year.”
Vicci Brooks Fairchild, an English language arts teacher for sixth and seventh grade students at Boyet Junior High, was named the top teacher for this past year.
She has served as the new teacher mentor at Boyet for many years and directed the class performance of Romeo and Juliette. She is involved in numerous school programs and clubs, previously receiving awards for Best Mannered Teacher, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and the Family Promise of St. Tammany Teacher Award.
One parent of a student wrote about her, “for Vicci, teaching isn’t a job, but a calling. She inspires all those she comes in contact with and makes us all want to be a better student, teacher and friend. Vicci has made an amazing impact on everyone that knows her.”
Students receiving the $1,000 scholarships were Bradley Bozant from Slidell High, who will attend the University of Louisiana Lafayette to study accounting; Noah Roheim of Northshore High, who will attend Tulane and study veterinary medicine; Farrah Flattmann of Pope John Paul High School, who will attend LSU and plans to study medicine and become a surgeon; Carleigh Faciane from Pope John Paul, who will pursue an economics degree at a college yet to be chosen; and Mary Grace Kelly, who will attend Southeastern and study to become a speech-language pathologist.
Folse, a fourth generation Slidell High grad who is in his 31st year in the St. Tammany school system, ended the past school year with his motto of “Be Inspired—Every Child, Every Day.” He comes up with a new motto for students and educators each school year.
The public school system graduated 2,284 students this past year while operating with 55 parish-wide schools and over 5,600 employees, making it the largest employer in the parish.
Folse said he is proud of the fact the St. Tammany system has the number one school scores in the state, including the top ACT scores that are above the national average. This past year, students in the system received over $74 million in college scholarships.
“We have to remember that if our schools fail, our businesses will be right around the corner,” he said. “But we have to also remember that we must never be defined by a letter grade or test score.”
Folse said the school system had a first this past year in that they streamed live high school graduation ceremonies on line for families and friends to watch.
“It was incredible for people who didn’t live here to be able to watch their kids graduate, or for deployed military to see their children walk across the stage and get their diploma,” he said.
Folse did admit he was initially concerned about the live graduation ceremonies, always wary of pranks from students, but he said he became comfortable with it when told they would have a 60-second delay to watch for any antics. In the end, the videos went off smoothly with no problems and will become an annual production.
He said the St. Tammany school system is so highly rated that a recent job fair when they hired teachers and others for the new year saw 580 applicants show up for 180 jobs.

Alvin M. Alexander, a longtime Slidellian, passed away on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
He was 86 years old.
He was a devoted husband to Alberta Rogers Alexander; and a loving father of Gwendolyn A. Woods (Lawrence) of Lacombe; Sheryl (Alexander) Reynard (Slidell); and Paula Alexander (Houston, TX); grandfather of Lawrence “Tiger” Woods, Jr. (Pullallup, WA); Jonathan Woods (Ocean Springs, MS); Shantel Reynard (Baton Rouge), Joseph C. Reynard (Houston, TX); and great-grandfather of “L.J.” Woods (Mandeville).
Alvin was a math and science teacher, retired, with the St. Tammany Parish School System culminating his career at the former, renowed St. Tammany High School. He served in the U.S. Army and was a disabled veteran after having served in the Korean War.
Alvin was preceded in death by his mother, Lillian Parker Alexander; his father, Eddie Alexander; his sister, Pamela A. Herman and Pamela’s daughter, Denise Herman.
Homegoing services will be held on Friday, June 24, 2016, at Starlight Missionary Baptist Church, 2100 Second Street, Slidell.
Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Service time is set for 11 a.m. Burial will be held at the Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Cemetary, Slidell.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Starlight Missionary Baptist Church, 2100 Second St., Slidell, in Alvin Alexanders’ behalf.

Beryl Lemoine Rachel, of Slidell, passed away on Sunday, June 19, 2016, in Slidell.
She was 80 years old.
She was the wife of Burton Rachel; mother of Belinda Paris (Joseph), Perry Rachel (Cheslie), Mark Rachel (Wendy), and Karen Drake (Mark); daughter of the late Lance Lemoine and Una Wick; and sister of Marilyn Spencer.
She is also survived by eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on June 21 at Honaker Funeral Home in Slidell.

Wanda Sketo Nigro, of Slidell, passed away on Friday, June 17, 2016.
She was 86 years old.
She was the beloved wife of the late John Marshall Nigro Sr.; mother of Stephanie Nigro Dreux (Arnold), John Marshall Nigro, Jr., and the late Michael Nigro.
She is aAlso survived by seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchilren.
She was a former employee of the Dollar General Store on Brownswitch Road here in Slidell.
Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral services at Covenant Baptist Church, 890 Robert Blvd., Slidell, LA on Friday, June 24 at 1 p.m.
Visitation at the church on Friday after 11 a.m. until funeral time.
In lieu flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity in Wanda’s name.

Huey C. Lampley, a native and lifelong resident of Slidell, passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, in Slidell.
He was 87 years old.
He was the beloved husband of the late Sylvia May Lampley; father of Tracey Foster (husband David), and Mark Lampley (wife Gerri ); son of the late Jessie and Nellie Lampley.
He is also survived by three grandchildren: Merrill Schmalz, Karissa Waguespack, Paul Foster; and four great-grandchildren: Mallory Schmalz, Jayden Waguespack, Colton Waguespack, and Aubree Waguespack.
He was a member of the American Legion and a U.S. Navy veteran.
Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2016, at 2 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1751 Gause Blvd West, in Slidell.

Jacqueline Baugher Freeman, of Slidell, passed away on Monday, June 13, 2016.
She was 78 years old.
She was the beloved wife of Winston L. Freeman; daughter of the late Roy Baugher and Margaret Keleschenyi Baugher; and mother of Randall L. Freeman (Lisa Dougherty).
She is also survived by her godchild, Lisa Soileu; and her longtime and best friend, Peggy Deer.
She was retired from LSU Health Sciences Center, Department of Urology after 18 years as an Administrative Assistant. She was a member of Village Lutheran Church.
Funeral services were held on June 16 at Honaker Funeral Home in Slidell.
Donations to St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital or the Humane Society, preferred, in lieu of flowers.
Zeno Alvin Patecek passed away Monday morning in Covington on Monday, June 20, 2016.
He was 84 years old.
He was a native and lifelong resident of Covington. For many years, Zeno continued in the family business of making and repairing shoes, started by his father August Gustav Patecek in downtown Covington.
In addition, he enjoyed a second career as a bookkeeper and tax preparer.
He was the loving husband of the late Grace Barthel Patecek for over 30 years; son of the late Alvina Mary Noe Patecek; father to Angela Marie Patecek, and Paul Michael Patecek, and Paul’s wife Kristin Cangemi Patecek.
He is also survived by his one brother, August Patecek.
His memorial Mass will be held on Friday, June 24 at 11 a.m. at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Covington with an Inurnment to follow immediately at Garden of Memories in Metairie, La.
Arrangements entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, Covington, LA. 985-875-1131

So last week we moved.
I’ve always found it odd—and kind of whiny—when people make a big deal about moving. Especially if they’re into a larger/better/“dream” home.
Well, here I am, just moved into a home with the space I’ve been wanting for years, and I am whining. Wah.
Y’all, moving is haaaaard.
The boxes! The boxes are everywhere! And all of the things. All of the silly, dumb things we do not need, like an unopened “Toss the Pig” game one of the kids received as a birthday present years ago. This is our first time to move with kids, and our four children have more stuff than I know what to do with. Literally, I don’t know what to do with it. Much of it was stored in our last house’s attic—I would shove things up there with the intent of selling/donating/dealing with them later.
Well, it’s later.
I find myself moving boxes aimlessly from one room to the next, hoping they might eventually walk themselves to the local donation center. Or perhaps someone will show up with a wad of cash in exchange for all of it. Neither scenario is likely, especially the latter, so the stuff continues to sit and bother me.
Also, I can’t find anything (except the “Toss the Pig” game). The kids wanted to make Father’s Day cards for their dad last weekend, but we couldn’t find the paper. Even more inconvenient, we’ve misplaced our bed. Not the entire bed, but a whole set of king size metal bed rails. How in the world? We’ve looked all over, but it’s not like the rails will turn up in a random box or under a stack of pillows. They’re huge and awkward and heavy—they didn’t roll, unnoticed, under the sofa or behind the dresser. So we’re doing the college thing, mattress/box springs on the floor, which makes the bed irresistible to small children. To kids, mattress on the floor = trampoline. This situation has yielded much hollering. Where are my bed rails???
Lost bed aside, we’re a little more settled every day that passes. The kids are happy here, and I’m happy, too, but I’m surprised at how long it’s taking me to feel comfortable here. I’m still not there yet. The house is about 30 years old and well loved, with drawers that stick and 90s-era bathtubs. Not a tragedy, but it feels—not mine. I spend too much time on Pinterest, looking up paint colors and budget bathroom makeovers, anxious I to put my stamp on this place so it feels like my own. We built our last house, and everything was shiny and new and chosen by me when we moved in 12 years ago. But this house—it feels like somebody else’s.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we moved here. Yesterday I sat on the huge front porch in a rocking chair the (wonderful) sellers left behind, and I marveled at our good fortune. But I miss what’s comfortable and familiar, the place where I knew which light switch to use and how to operate the microwave.
“I want to go home,” I told my husband the other day. A strange thing to say when I am home, but he knew what I meant.
It just doesn’t feel like home. Not yet.

(Betsy Swenson can be reached at sliindelife@gmail.com.)

SLIDELL — A former Slidell Police detective is under investigation by the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office for possible wrongdoing, according to Slidell Police Department Sergeant Daniel Seuzeneau.
In June of 2015, during an audit of the Criminal Investigations Division, Detective Mario Arthur III was found to be grossly neglecting his investigatory duties and mishandling evidence.
Arthur was immediately transferred to the patrol division while the audit continued. Investigators discovered multiple cases, which were not properly investigated by the former detective.
Slidell Police Chief Randy Smith took action and launched an internal affairs investigation.
The allegations against Arthur were sustained, which resulted in several policy violations of neglect of duty, unsatisfactory performance, and insubordination. The former detective has since resigned from the department.
“Our detectives are held to the highest level of standards. This type of negligence is an isolated incident and is completely unacceptable. We want to be transparent with this investigation which is why we asked an outside agency to review our findings,” Slidell Police Chief Randy Smith said.
No further information on the details of the case were available, said Smith, since the case is still under investigation.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Four years of persistence are finally paying off for a group of Leadership Northshore team members who held a groundbreaking this past week for Slidell’s first dog park.
The Raisin’ Canes Camellia City Bark Park will officially open this fall after the final work is finished on three large fenced areas on Spartan Drive, next to Fritchie Park.
Thanks to a naming rights sponsorship from Raisin’ Canes in Slidell, the park made the final step towards securing the funding they needed to get the finishing touches on the four-acre park area that will become the first dog park in the area.
Along with Raisin’ Canes as the top sponsor for the event, key donations came from Summerfield Senior Living, System Emerge/NMD, Unforgettable Pets, Southern Pearl Veterinary Clinic, and Banfield Pet Hospital.

Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan was on hand for the groundbreaking and said a dog park in Slidell is something he had been frequently asked about.
“A dog park is something many people have asked about, wondering why we couldn’t have one here,” he said during brief remarks at the groundbreaking. “Now, thanks to the work of this Leadership team, we will have one.”
The city donated the land for the park and will take over maintenance of it once the park is completed, since they had been maintaining that property all along with soccer fields nearby, and Fritchie Park next door.
The park has three large fenced areas for dogs to romp around as much as possible, but will not have a traditional walking track that some dog parks have. However, there will be a wash pad, an agility course, a watering station, benches and plenty of shade.
“We liked the idea of having the area wide open without a walking path,” Leadership team director Lee Cosgrove said. “We’re just so thankful to our sponsors for helping us make this happen.”
Leadership Northshore is a nine-month course locally that includes an aspect of creating a lasting community project. Four years ago, the team of Cosgrove, Rachel Perez, Amanda Hover, John Gallaher and Jesse Lamonte decided to bring a dog park to Slidell. The project proved challenging to find a piece of land that was donated by the city, then also a challenge to get water to the property that sits over 100 yards off Spartan Drive.
“This is going to be a great place for dogs to play and socialize with other dogs,” Cosgrove said. “We’re very excited to finally be this close to getting this done.”
The park will be open seven days a week from dusk to dawn.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

MANDEVILLE – St. Tammany Parish and the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany (CCST) are pressing forward together with an impassioned appeal to the Supreme Court of Louisiana that is again seeking a halt to planned oil drilling near Mandeville.
An appeal to last week’s defeat by a 4-3 state ruling has been filed, going into greater detail in the key argument over whether local zoning regulations should trump a state-issued permit to drill for oil in St. Tammany Parish.
Shortly after the court ruling last week that went against the parish, CCST officials immediately announced they planned to appeal, followed by the St. Tammany Parish Council on Wednesday night voting to reconsider the case, which led to the joint appeal with CCST.
“If the Court of Appeal’s ruling is allowed to stand, every single local government zoning and land use ordinance will be subject to being overruled by the state Legislature, state agencies, private companies and citizens with state-issued permits,” the suit stated.

At odds in the consideration by judges has been what is called “police powers,” a term generally used to explain the power by local or state governments to set zoning regulations or other laws. In this case, however, the police powers are butting heads after the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a permit to Helis Oil to explore for oil in a site near Mandeville.
The fact that St. Tammany Parish has zoned that area residential seemed to be of little consequence after a district court ruled the permit to be valid, even after parish officials ordered a “cease and desist” ruling for the work. After the court ruled in favor of Helis the parish took down their sign.
The parish brief noted that “no court in this state should uphold a law which authorizes a department of the state to issue a permit that allows for a land use activity to be conducted on a particular single-family residentially zoned parcel of property.”
Parish counsel Terry Hand added in their brief that the drilling permit issued by the state was issued by DNR in “clear violation of the very state statutes that were enacted by the legislature pursuant to its expressly limited police powers in matters of zoning.”
Hand added that if the ruling is allowed to stand, “land use zoning” in St. Tammany may be “unenforceable.”
CCST, the parish watchdog group, entered the fray with its own court attempts asking the court to force Helis to seek environmental assessments before proceeding, which was followed by the legal attempt to halt the drilling on the basis of local zoning ordinances.
However, the district and appeals court rulings continued to favor Helis and its state permit, which was again supported by the Louisiana Supreme Court last week, continuing to ignore the ramifications of the fact St. Tammany has zoned the area residential.
Andrew Jacoby, lead counsel for the CCST suit, made it clear how impactful the ruling could be if left intact.
“Any state Legislature exercise of police power can brush aside any local government exercise of power,” he said. “The court’s ruling newly subjects local zoning and land use power to any ‘general law’ that the state legislature can devise.”
The brief went on to suggest any kind of industry or business could end up in any place across the state.
“If the state wants to use land in the Lower Ninth Ward to build a casino (or anything else it wants to build) against the complaints of local residents and local officials and in violation of local zoning and land use ordinances, the state need only point to its newly expanded police power.
“Same with a drilling rig in Jackson Square or on the fifty yard line of Tiger Stadium…no local ordinance could stop any person with a Baton Rouge-issued drill permit from drilling in the middle of any downtown anywhere in the state,” he claimed.
“The whole point of zoning is, to paraphrase the U.S. Supreme Court, to keep pigs out of the parlor and in the barnyard,” Jacoby concluded.
The appeal also questioned what the great advantage is for oil companies, which have previously set up drilling in zoned areas that are appropriate and acceptable.
Jacoby noted that a ruling in favor of the local zoning would only be “a return to the status quo that would be insignificant. This industry has operated in harmony with local zoning and land use laws for several generations and it does not need a new power to push drilling rigs into areas zoned for residential use,” he said.
The suit said that in the future, the creation of an exception where by the state can disregard local zoning is a “longer-term recipe for degradation of property rights that citizens rely on.”
Helis Oil announced in the spring of 2014 it intended to seek a permit to test for oil near Mandeville. The permit issued so far by DNR is to explore, but should they find oil reserves worth extracting they will expand the operation even more. Experts watching this story suggest there could be dozens of oil rig operations in St. Tammany should enough oil be found in the first Helis test site.
CCST and others were concerned from the outset of the news due to the fact most of St. Tammany water comes from an underground aquifer that they say could be compromised by the oil drilling.
Parish President Pat Brister, who has been criticized by CCST for not doing more to halt the operation, announced after last week’s Louisiana Supreme Court ruling that she will continue to find every avenue to protect the parish environment.
“I am committed to using every avenue in my power to protect our beautiful parish,” Brister added. “Now that the Louisiana Supreme Court has determined they will not hear our appeal, we will move forward by introducing new and effective ordinances to better regulate drilling operations.”

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – When Eugene Wellington grew up in Africa, living a life of privilege in an affluent family, he was mesmerized by the influence and power of an uncle who was an ambassador to the United Nations, as well as a Supreme Court justice.
Wellington admitted he wanted to be that man and set his sights on a path that would lead him to become an ambassador from his home country, Sierra Leone, to Poland—the country where he earned a Master’s Degree.
“Everything I did was to become an ambassador,” he recalled.
But God had other plans for Wellington to achieve his lifelong dream, and took him through a challenging, near devastating path in life before today, finally allowing him to become the ambassador he wanted—but for very different reasons.

Wellington is now known in Slidell as Bishop Eugene Wellington, pastor of El Bethel Apostolic Ministry, and recently returned from a trip to Maryland where he was honored with the Distinguished Humanitarian Leadership Award from the National Organization of Sierra Leoneans in North America (NOSLINA).
The award was a culmination of work Wellington has spearheaded through his church that began in 2004 when he returned to Sierra Leone in Africa on a mission trip for the Slidell Rotary Club. It was sparked after learning of a great need for children to receive prosthetics in the wake of rebel forces in the country cutting off the legs and arms of young children during internal battles for power in that country.
“When I saw the need of those children I knew I had to continue to return to help them—it was my home country. I remember crying on the plane ride home for those children, it was so terrible to see what had happened there,” he said.
It began an annual trip to Sierra Leone that initially was with the Rotary Club, but turned into the past 12 years when the small, fledgling church has teamed with other local churches and the giving hearts of Slidell businessmen to build schools, churches and sink wells to help the country rebound from the devastation of war.
Wellington looks back on the past 12 years and the accomplishments El Bethel and the Slidell community have combined to bring about. He just smiles when acknowledging his drive in his earlier years to be a political ambassador, but now realizes he has become an ambassador for God.
“My dream has come true in a different way,” he said. “I wanted to be an ambassador for Sierra Leone, but now I’m an ambassador for heaven.”
Wellington is well known in the Slidell community since taking over leadership of the Community Christian Concern (C.C.C.) in 1995 and heading the operation for 15 years, a non-profit Christian outreach for needy and homeless in the area.
But by the time that happened, Wellington had gone through a great struggle to even remain in the United States and avoid deportation.
Growing up in Sierra Leone he was one of nine children who lived “an affluent life. We had servants, drivers at our house—we had everything.”
His father was an accountant for the diamond and gold mines and his mother was a teacher and a nurse, putting them in the upper class.
“In Sierra Leone at that time you were either rich or poor, there was no middle class,” he said.
He went to Poland to achieve his Master’s Degree, all with an eye on becoming a powerful man like his uncle, but when he came to the United States to visit his sister the lure of making big money took over.
“I was supposed to stay here for six months, but I loved the life so much that I stayed and never got my visa extended, even though I had married and was eligible to do so,” he said. “It was a mix of procrastination and not realizing how important it was to get it done.”
He came south since his wife was from Louisiana, leading him to a lofty position as district manager with Payless Shoes. But one day as he worked in a Slidell store two men came walking in.
“I was sure they were customers, but they were immigration agents who took me into custody. I was so scared—I saw my world falling apart. All the great opportunities here were about to be swept away,” he vividly remembers thinking.
Wellington was raised with Christian values, but admits getting away from those Christian principles as he enjoyed the American lifestyle. Oddly enough, however, the night before the agents showed up he had gone to First Pentecostal Church on Robert Boulevard and rededicated his life to God. As he faced an uncertain future, he remembers calling Pastor Donald Bryan who dropped what he was doing and went to meet the agents with Wellington in custody—even though he barely knew the man.
“He told me they would pray for me,” he said. “I always remember that.”
Wellington was given time to stay in the states as he worked out his problems, which took seven years, making life fall apart for him since he was no longer able to work a regular job.
“I had to take any work I could find since I was no longer viewed as an American citizen,” he said. “I cut grass, hauled trash and went to church since I had a lot of time on my hands, finally starting to volunteer to teach children to read at the local housing project.
“Here I was with a Master’s Degree and I couldn’t get a job at McDonalds,” he said. “I cried so much and God reminded me how I had looked down on homeless people on the street. I promised I would help others from then on if God would restore me.”
That led to work at the C.C.C., then starting his own outreach in 1997 that led to El Bethel as a church focused on missions. His connections with local business leaders and civic groups such as the Rotary, all due to his position at the C.C.C., led to the return trip to Sierra Leone in 2004, and now a ministry that has spanned over 12 years.
Wellington said his life today is thanks to so many who have helped build his church and supported his annual mission trips, such as the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, Pat Miramon, Dave Kaufmann, Dave Martin and other churches who help him raise thousands of dollars annually for the Sierra Leone mission.
Kaufmann and Miramon, two longtime Slidell builders, have also helped him extensively as he built his church on Allen Road, where one room is named after Kaufmann for all the help he has given the Wellington ministry.
Wellington’s work has gotten more attention from a New Orleans pastor who is connected to mission work in Brazil, where the Slidell pastor has already traveled to and anticipates a new work.
“I will always be thankful to the C.C.C. in Slidell and Juanita Merry and Dudley Smith, who were the directors. They helped me so much and set the example for churches to give back to the community, whether here or as we do in Sierra Leone,” he said. “The demand is so great.”

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Slidell Police Department Sgt. Daniel Seuzeneau will move to the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office as the new Public Information Officer, Sheriff-Elect Randy Smith announced as he prepares to be inaugurated into office this Friday, July 1.
Seuzeneau was hired at the SPD as a patrol officer in 206 and moved into investigations as a detective in 2009 before being promoted to sergeant in 2015.
In 2012 he began to work as the assistant Public Information Officer (PIO) along with Kevin Foltz, then was named P.I.O. for the department by Chief Randy Smith in 2013 when Foltz retired.
“I always enjoyed the public relations aspect to the police department and wanted to get involved in that,” Seuzeneau said. “So I’m excited about the opportunity to do it parish-wide with the Sheriff’s Office.”
Seuzeneau was considered a possible candidate for chief of police in Slidell after Smith won the sheriff’s election last fall. However, he said he declined to run for that job due to already having 10 years with Civil Service. He would have had to resign his police job to run for chief and opt out of the Civil Service program.
That was the same reason he initially declined the job offer from Smith, but after discussing it with his wife and family a month-and-a-half ago, Seuzeneau said the support he received from them changed his mind.
“It’s a risk to leave a Civil Service job and go to the Sheriff’s Office where you do not have that job protection,” he said. “But I think Randy and I clicked as a good team and I enjoy working with him, so I decided to go ahead and make the move.”
Seuzeneau’s official job title will be Captain over Public Affairs and he will oversee a small staff that handles the website, Facebook and other Social Media outlets that Seuzeneau was in charge of starting or improving with the Slidell Police.
“Daniel has a great rapport with the local media and that’s important to continue at the Sheriff’s Office,” Smith said. “That’s one reason I wanted him to come over with me.”
Seuzeneau will take over the position currently held by George Bonnet with the Sheriff’s Office.