Access St. Tammany

In addition to broadcasting parish government meetings, Access St. Tammany (Charter Cable Channel 10) offers weekly arts, music and cultural programming. “Lifestyle,” a 30-minute show featuring arts events, cultural offerings and interesting happenings in St. Tammany Parish, premiered last fall. Hosted by Suzanne Parsons Stymiest, STP director of cultural and governmental affairs, and Times Picayune theatre critic Stephen B. Cefalu, the show airs Mondays at 6:30pm, Tuesdays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 7pm.

Another recent addition is “Healthquest,” hosted by Bruce Clement, associate administrator of clinical services for Slidell Memorial Hospital. The program focuses on a variety of contemporary health issues for parish residents.

On a weekly basis, Access St. Tammany broadcasts “New Orleans After Midnight” with Bernie Cyrus, the “Ecos Latinos” music and culture series, and the “Abita Springs Opry” re-broadcast. Leadership development workshops sponsored by the St. Tammany Arts Commission have also aired.

For a full schedule of programming, visit the St. Tammany Parish Government website at stpgov.org.

Going for the Gold

Jennifer Fields, a recent graduate of Covington High School, has been chosen to represent the United States in the 2005 Summer Deaflympic Games in Melbourne, Australia as a member of the women’s soccer team. A freshman at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Jennifer is the only player chosen from the southern United States, and one of only 18 members on the team.

Celebrating its 20th year in 2005, the Deaflympics provide an opportunity for outstanding athletes who are hearing-impaired to compete internationally against other top players around the world, representing the pinnacle of their sports achievements.

Jennifer started playing soccer as a 6-year-old, and later played with the Covington Youth Soccer Association. She was a member of two state championship teams, winning back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999. At Covington High, she received honorable mention or second team all-district honors each year. She was a member of the RIT Tigers women’s soccer team in the fall of 2003 before qualifying for the USA Deaflympics team in February 2004.

Among those whom Jennifer credits for her inspiration are her parents and Helen Keller. Says Jennifer, “Even though Helen Keller was deaf, and blind, too, she showed the world that she could do anything she wanted to do. She proved that she was the same as everyone else. I, too, can do anything that people think I can’t do because of my deafness. My parents worked very hard to make sure that I received a good education, and that I would be able to talk. For three years, my dad drove me across the lake to the oral school, Chinchuba, on the West Bank. Imagine that—every day for three years! I thank God for my parents; because of them, I have a better life.”

Jennifer has set a number of goals for her life, but what she wants most now is to capture the Gold and bring it home. The USA Deaf Sports Federation Board is working to raise $450,000 to help pay the costs of sending the United States team to Australia. Each team member is also required to raise an additional $4,500 to pay for travel, accommodations, training facilities, uniforms and other costs. If you would like to contribute to Jennifer’s success, contact Rose and Harold Fields at 893-1098. For additional information, visit www.usadsa.net.

Corvette Fever

Organized in June 2003 by a small band of devoted Corvette enthusiasts, the Northshore Corvette Club now boasts more than 150 members from St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes.

The oldest ‘Vette in the club is a 1959 convertible owned by Nick Gristina of Mandeville. Several members own anniversary edition Corvettes, Indianapolis pace car replicas and other specialty models that Chevrolet has produced over the years.

Sal Marino, president, says, “Membership in the club is really all about having fun with people who have a common interest in the Corvette—the true American sports car.”

Club members meet on the third Thursday of each month, alternating among Hammond, Mandeville, Covington and Slidell. To date, the club has hosted a variety of activities, including a sightseeing poker run, several cruise nights in the Hammond area and a Corvette display at Hood Northlake Chevrolet in Covington, the club’s dealer sponsor. Members display their cars at the northshore dealership several times throughout the year. Future plans include hosting a rally, an all-Corvette show on the northshore, and participation in other Corvette club shows and events.

For additional information, visit www.northshorecorvetteclub.com.

Operation We Care

One of the most difficult tasks a parent can face is sending a son or daughter off to war. Sheri Stephens of Ponchatoula faced that reality when her son, Lovie (L.V.) Moran, was sent to Iraq last year as an Army medic with the 4th Infantry. In January 2004, a vehicle in which he was riding was hit by a roadside bomb. Thankfully, Moran’s injuries were not serious and he served his entire tour of duty, returning home in March.

During his time in Iraq, Moran and other soldiers were the grateful recipients of numerous care packages forwarded to them through the tireless efforts of Stephens, other parents, family members and friends. Established by the concerned mom in July 2003 with the help of other loyal supporters, Operation We Care has since shipped over 1,800 care packages, in addition to countless letters and cards, to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Says Stephens, “We are a non-profit organization dedicated to the ones that give it their all for us to have it all.”

Part of the organization’s efforts involves the sale of magnetic ribbons, which helps fund needed supplies for the troops and provides help and support for their families. The ribbons bear mottos such as “Support Our Troops,” “Pray For Our Troops,” “Freedom Isn’t Free,” and “Land of the Free Because of the Brave.” To date, more than 20,000 ribbons have been sold. All profits go towards the purchase of items specially requested by the troops, such as sunflower seeds, beef jerky, candy, gum, Zapp’s potato chips and pralines. The organization also funds local troop rallies, holds candlelight services and sponsors homecoming celebrations.

A special edition magnetic ribbon that bears the words, “Love always finds its way home” was created for Matt Maupin, the captured soldier from Batavia, Ohio. Proceeds from the sale of this ribbon will be forwarded directly to Maupin’s family.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, or if you are interested in helping to promote Operation We Care magnets, contact Sheri Stephens at 969-2343. Donations can be made through the organization’s website at www.OperationWeCare.com, or by mailing to Operation We Care, P.O. Box 1306, Ponchatoula, LA 70454.

What Is a Creole?

To address this question, a special Southeastern Louisiana University summer institute for teachers will examine the meaning of the often-debated term and the portrayal of Creole culture in literature, history, music and art.

Twenty-five teachers have been selected to attend “Creoles in Fact and Fiction,” directed by Southeastern English professor Tom Fick and funded by a Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities grant. The teachers will receive a $500 stipend and a tuition scholarship for three hours of graduate credit.

Fick, who previously directed three Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities seminars for secondary school teachers, said the definition of “Creole” is almost as varied as the population of Louisiana. “When Edward Larocque Tinker introduced his 1928 novel, ‘Toucoutou’ by asserting that Creole ‘can mean only one thing and that is a pure white person born of European parents in Spanish or French colonies,’ he was firing another salvo in a cultural debate that began many years before and continues to the present. Today, most people would take exception to Tinker’s definition, but the issue is far from resolved.”

The institute will also feature two visiting scholars. Thomas Klingler, professor of linguistics at Tulane University and author of a book on the Creole language of Pointe Coupee Parish, will discuss the history and development of the Creole language, as well as issues dealing with its representation in literary and other texts.

Mary Pichon Battle, a teacher, playwright and founder of the northshore organization “Creoles Sans Limites,” will discuss her original plays in Creole, her research into the northshore and surrounding Creole communities, and her efforts to revive and preserve Creole traditions, language and culture.

For additional information, contact Tom Fick at 985-549-2104 or tfick@selu.edu.

Copyright 2004, M&L Publishing, all rights reserved.