By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

MANDEVILLE – This is the story of one woman living her life with Bipolar Disorder.
However, her story is far from unusual, and in reality, is a glimpse into the lives of one-in-four individuals in St. Tammany Parish.
With Sept. 8-14 recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of St. Tammany is hosting a special free seminar on Thursday, Sept. 11 entitled “Understanding and Preventing Suicide in Teens and Young Adults.”
The event will be held at the SMH Founders Medical Building at 6:30 p.m. To secure your reservation, call 985-626-6538.
Tracy Moseley currently works as the project coordinator for NAMI in St. Tammany, a non-profit agency that is devoted to providing education, support, resources and advocacy for those dealing with mental illness.

But she also has a story to tell since she lives with Bipolar Disorder, a mental illness that took years to diagnose. Moseley said she doesn’t mind telling her story now because she hopes it will lead others to seek help before anything tragic happens.
“One in four people have some form of mental illness, but here in our parish, the truth is that we still are far from having enough help. The best doctors are overloaded. But for anyone who doesn’t think they are finding the help they need, we are here at NAMI and will do all we can to get you to the right resources,” Moseley explained.
As for the life of the 44-year-old woman, she said her life today is good, thanks in part to finally being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder in 2006—something that didn’t happen until she went through two major incidents that could have easily led to tragedy.
“During my worst times, I can remember waking up angry that I was still alive,” she said. “I had such anxiety, like I was trapped in a tunnel. I had a lack of enjoyment in anything, other than the pleasure of having my two boys.”
As is the case in a majority of individuals with various mental illnesses, there was a family connection. Moseley said her mother and only sibling dealt with their own forms of mental illness, and she remembers one other relative hanging himself when she was 4.
Moseley said she had terrible anxiety as a child, “but due to my brother’s problems and my mother having her own issues, I tried to be invisible and the problems showed up in things like headaches and stomach problems.”
She was a great student while attending school in Metairie, where she played guitar and sang in the choir, making excellent grades. But as a teenager, she remembers a journal she had started that her mother found.
“I was writing very dark stuff, about death and dying,” she recalled. “When my mom found it, I lied and said I was making it all up. But I wasn’t—it was how I felt.”
Heading to college at LSU, she considered psychology because of her own situation and that of her brother, but ended up graduating with a degree in Occupational Therapy.
“There was less structure in college and my grades slipped as I started drinking too much,” she said. “I felt so out of control and was very emotional.”
She married within a year of college graduation and quickly had twin boys. But the inability of doctors to diagnose her condition left her struggling to find happiness and peace, affecting her personal life as her marriage lasted only three years before she married for the second time in 2001.
“I was a workaholic and wanted everything to be perfect,” she said. “I wanted to be the perfect mom and wife, but the truth was I was fighting depression and I wasn’t handling the stress of work very well.”
By 2003, her drinking was becoming a serious problem, especially since she would drink heavily to manage at family events. She remembers carrying her grandmother’s rosary everywhere with her, and waking up during the night on her knees, praying by the bed with her rosary.
“I had so much social anxiety and couldn’t handle family events. Finally I lost it at one event and I took my boys and left, but couldn’t find my way home. I thought there was some demonic force working to get my sons,” she said. “The next day at work, I thought there was a hole in the ceiling and someone was watching me.
She left her job and stopped at a rest area, where EMS attendants eventually found her, but couldn’t wake her up. She was taken to the hospital, had her stomach pumped for fear she had taken a lot of pills, and was sent to a psychiatric hospital, where she was kept for two weeks.
“That was the worst experience of my life. I was manic and agitated and didn’t know why I was there. I was in a small room by myself and thought I was in hell,” she added. “But even after all that, there was no diagnosis of what was wrong with me.”
She managed to hold things together for the next few years until after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After months of trying to deal with everything from the storm, Moseley said she called her doctor in desperation, but as is so often the case trying to find assistance, was told it would be at least two weeks to see him.
“I called my mom to pick me up, and while she was driving, I got out of the car on East Causeway Approach in Mandeville, and started picking up Mardi Gras beads from a parade. I was throwing them at cars before the police got there and cuffed me,” she said, still chuckling about the public incident.
Moseley was taken to the ER, then the psychiatric hospital again, and put on mood stabilizers, all to no avail.
“I wanted to die,” she said. “I was started on anti-depressants, but it still didn’t work. I remember cutting my hair very short one day because I wasn’t able to wash it. I was so depressed.”
Finally later in 2006 she found the help she needed with a new doctor.
“He figured out I was bipolar and got me on the right kind of medication to control it,” she said. “There are different kinds of bipolar conditions and it took a while to find the right medication for my situation. That’s what is difficult with any diagnosis.”
Moseley said she never attempted suicide simply because of her twin boys.
“I wanted to die for sure,” she said. “But I couldn’t do that to them and they are the reason I’m still alive.”
She said that the combination of the right medication, plus regular therapy, are the things that have helped her.
“Therapists help reframe issues so they aren’t so overwhelming,” she explained. “Today I’m really happy, especially working here.”
She began working as a volunteer with NAMI before being offered the project coordinator job earlier this year. She also operates NAMI’s Closet, a location in Mandeville that offers free clothes to anyone who needs them.
As for others suffering with mental illnesses, Moseley said that the NAMI classes offered for free are a great help, and a good first step.
“Truthfully, we need a 24-hour respite location in St. Tammany to help people,” she said. “But if you don’t think you have gotten the help you need, call us. We will do all we can to find the right resources to help you.”

By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL — St. Tammany Parish Recreation District No. 16 is hoping to build a $21 million sports complex in Slidell, which will only happen if taxpayers agree to foot the bill.
Recreation District 16 encompasses the 8th and 9th Wards of St. Tammany, a large area surrounding the City of Slidell. Earlier this year, the district hired consultants to determine the recreation needs of the community and propose a scope of needs for a park that the district hopes to develop in the area.

In a recent meeting held at the Slidell City Auditorium, Fauntleroy Latham Weldon Barre’ Architects unveiled the master plan created for the district, after completing a $65,000 study on the area.
The architects’ plan showed a Phase I Priority list, which included land and infrastructure, four rectangular fields, four diamond fields, an eight-lane 50-meter pool, a single court gym with meeting rooms and business office, 12 tennis courts, two playgrounds, and a one-mile walking trail.
The suggested cost for the project is $21 million.
At the most recent meeting were Slidell Youth Basketball Association, Slidell Bantam Baseball Association, and Slidell Youth Soccer Club presidents, along with a number of council members and Parish President Pat Brister.
“The feedback was really positive. The comments by the presidents who were there were positive. They reiterated their point that there is a big need for this,” Recreation District Chair Sharon Hewitt said.
The sports complex will be funded by taxpayers who reside in the district, but only if they approve it at the ballot box in an election that will probably be held next year. However, that is still a big question for the RD 16 board. Right now, this district does not include the city limits of Slidell or Rec. District 9, which is the Eden Isles area.
“We would like to include these areas. Not only does that help with the tax base, but operationally, it is going to be better to include everyone. As a board, over the next two weeks we are going to be working with the current organized sports groups as well as the City of Slidell to try and get a letter of support to have the entire city included,” Hewitt said. “I think all citizens are going to want to participate and are all going to want to give everyone the chance to vote. “
The price difference in terms of the millage is greatly different depending on whether or not the entire city is included in the district or just the current area in RD 16.
For example, for a family living in a $150,000 home in the current Recreation District 16, the annual millage fee would be $98.63. But if the entire city ends up being included in the district, the annual fee for the same home would drop to $43.50.
The Parish Council will set the election date for this proposal.
“They are consolidating the election of multiple issues on a spring date that they will set. We aren’t trying to sneak it in on a date when there might be low voter turnout. We want people to go vote. We’re not elected officials, and we don’t have a hidden agenda here,” Hewitt said. “My kids are grown and they live out of state with their kids. They will probably never benefit from this, but it’s the right thing to do.”
The location of the park is still under wraps, but Hewitt said the board is in negotiation on several sites.
The board will also be asking the Slidell City Council to vote at an upcoming meeting on whether or not the entire city can be included in this rec district.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Perhaps with an eye on a soon-to-come 41,000 square foot competitor in the new Fremaux Town Center, Cross Gates Family Fitness owners Larry and Merryanne Welch are making a strong bid to become the health and recreation home for much of Slidell.
Larry Welch confirmed this week that he and his wife have purchased the 48,000 square foot Slidell Athletic Club at 1311 Gause Blvd., giving them three Cross Gates locations in the Slidell area.

Welch and his wife purchased the anchor Cross Gates facility on Military Road from developer Pat Miramon in 1994, only to see it burn to the ground in 1996, requiring a major rebuilding job before re-opening in 1997.
Since then, Cross Gates purchased a World Gym location on Pontchartrain Drive in 2000, and now with the closing sale this past Monday to buy Slidell Athletic Club on Gause Boulevard, Welch said they believe they can offer convenience and the best value for anyone looking for a workout, or recreation center.
“We have always felt that Slidell is our mission. It’s where God has us and even though we have had many opportunities to open locations in other cities, we are all about Slidell,” Welch said. “The opportunity to purchase an outstanding club like Slidell Athletic will offer anyone a club right around the corner from them, from most anywhere in Slidell.”
Slidell Athletic Club has been operated by Bob Thirstrup, a longtime Slidell resident who was the managing partner and majority owner in the facility. Originally started in a smaller location at 550 Gause Boulevard by Thirstrup, he grew the business until purchasing a former K-Mart building at the current location and doing major renovations. The club grew to 11,500 members by this year, Thirstrup said.
“The Slidell community has been very supportive of what we have built in Slidell Athletic Club, and as more people saw the benefits of exercise, it created a great demand. Fortunately we took advantage of that opportunity,” he said.
While there are other smaller health clubs in Slidell such as the recent opening of Planet Fitness on Hwy. 190 and several Anytime Fitness locations in the region, Cross Gates Family Fitness and Slidell Athletic Club had become top competitors for years in Slidell when it came to the health and fitness industry.
As part of the new Fremaux Town Center retail site that opened in March, 2014, Phase II, currently underway, will feature a 41,000 square foot LA Fitness, part of a national chain that includes over 300 sites around the world.
Welch declined to comment on what impact that had on their decision to purchase Slidell Athletic Club, but did say that he and his wife had been looking for a third location for several years, and had naturally considered buying SAC.
“Bob Thirstrup and I have been friends for many years and the idea of Cross Gates buying them out had been mentioned in the past, but it was probably December of last year when we began discussing it seriously,” Welch said. “They have such a great facility with indoor and outdoor pools and a huge building to work with.”
Thirstrup said he decided to sell to Welch since they had been friends for 20 years and agreed it would be better to reach the community under one umbrella of the Cross Gates name.
“It’s been very rewarding to see us grow and build so many wonderful relationships with the people coming here,” Thirstrup added. “It’s very exciting to sell to Cross Gates now.”
Welch said there will be “a major renovation and remodeling” to conform the site to the Cross Gates model, but just what those plans are have not been finalized.
“I have about 100 ideas of what we can do since it’s such a fantastic facility,” Welch said. “We will definitely be doing some expensive remodeling. But we are going to take a little time to consider everything.”
The two Cross Gates facilities currently employ approximately 250 employees, while Slidell Athletic has close to 50 employees. Welch said that when the final Cross Gates changes are made, he anticipates the new site to employ between 75 to 100 people, adding close to 50 jobs to the area.
“We will have three great clubs and I feel certain there is enough support for this in the Slidell area,” he said.
The Cross Gates Family Fitness anchor site on Military doubled in size in 2006 when Welch directed an addition for a youth fitness complex, giving them close to 75,000 square feet at that site.
“We’re so thankful for what we consider phenomenal success in this business for many years,” Welch said. “The key for us has been to offer fitness and recreation, not just be a workout center. We offer something for everyone of any age.
“We believe in having fun and that’s why we have a program for every segment of any age group,” he added. “The key for us has been to offer what we believe is an exceptional value for your money. We don’t claim to be the least expensive, but we concentrate on a great value and a great experience every time you come to our club.”
In closing the deal, Thirstrup will no longer be an employee in any capacity for Cross Gates, although Welch said, “Bob won’t be working there anymore, but he has great experience in the health aspect of what he offered there so he will always be what I consider a trusted advisor for us.”
Thirstrup, 48, also opened a club in Diamondhead called the Prestige Fitness Center and said he will now focus his attentions there.
For the month of September, Slidell Athletic Club members will be allowed to visit other Cross Gates locations for free. New membership options will be determined in the coming weeks.

By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Daniel Hanlon always had a smile on his face, and that will always be one of many things he will be remembered for.
Hanlon tragically died in a car crash early Sunday morning when his friend and off-duty policeman John Cole lost control of his vehicle, causing the Jeep to crash into a ditch and flip onto its top. Cole was still listed in critical condition as of press time this week.
Hanlon, 31, was currently an assistant football coach at Salmen High School and a former powerlifting and assistant football coach at Pope John Paul High School. He graduated from Salmen and went on to college at Southeastern Louisiana University.
“He had a wooden cross that he received while at Pope John Paul. It was always worn around his neck. He had it on the morning that he was killed, and now it hangs around the neck of his sister,” mom Debie Hanlon said.

He is survived by his parents, John and Debie Hanlon, and sister, Casey. He is preceded in death by an older brother, Chris Hanlon.
Salmen head football coach Jerry Leonard was understandably very troubled to hear the news.
“We are all shocked and saddened to hear the news of the tragic accident that took the life of one of our own, Coach Danny Hanlon. We are asking that the community will please pray for Danny and his family, along with former Salmen Spartan John Cole, who was with coach and is now fighting for his life,” Leonard said. “Our team will do our best to honor coach Hanlon from this moment on. He was an outstanding young coach and young man.”
According to family member Becky Charneco, Hanlon’s dream job was to work at Salmen.
“It was like he felt that he had arrived home,” Charneco said.
Salmen won a state football championship in 2000 when Hanlon was a junior on the team. Last month he returned to the Salmen campus as a teacher and coach. Prior to that, Hanlon coached at Chalmette High for one year where he only left to take the job at Salmen.
While at PJP, he helped lead the powerlifting team to a state championship for both boys and girls for several years in a row.
“He was very competitive, to the point of even pushing me out of the way to retrieve all of the Easter eggs,” sister Casey Hanlon said.
In 2009, he was the Saints Teacher of the Year.
“Daniel always wanted to make lots of money and be the next Donald Trump. He landed a career that did not make him lots of money, but that allowed him to really love his work each and every day,” his father, John Hanlon, said.
According to his family, he had a pet goose named Igor and kept his football plays locked in his safe. He loved pizza and chicken wings, and as a child, he helped to host a fundraiser for a friend in need to help cover his medical bills.
“Daniel always had your back. He was the protector, the enforcer,” John said.
A funeral Mass will be held for Hanlon, Sept. 11, at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, 910 Cross Gates Blvd., in Slidell, at 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Pope John Paul II High School to establish a scholarship fund in memory of Hanlon.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – A Slidell police officer is in critical condition and one of his best friends was killed early Sunday morning following an accident near Slidell on Hwy. 433 when the Jeep both men were riding in veered off the highway and ended up flipping over.
Louisiana State Police spokesman Greg Marchand said they received a call at 7:10 a.m. on Sunday regarding a vehicle that had crashed, and their subsequent investigation determined that the accident had apparently occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m.
John Cole, a Slidell Police officer who joined the force in 2007, was the driver of the 2005 Jeep Wrangler that crashed, and he was accompanied by Daniel Hanlon, a longtime friend who was an assistant football coach at Salmen High.

Marchand said that their investigation revealed the Jeep was traveling west towards Slidell on Hwy. 433 when, for reasons under investigation, Cole failed to maneuver a left curve in the roadway. Cole apparently went off the road to the right, but then overcorrected to the left, causing the vehicle to flip over.
Even though Hanlon, 31, was wearing his seat belt, he suffered such severe injuries that he was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office, Marchand said.
Cole, also 31, was transported to LSU Hospital in New Orleans and remains in critical condition on life support as of press time for The Slidell Independent.
The two men were longtime friends and Hanlon, a Salmen High School graduate before returning to the school this year to coach, had stood as the best man at Cole’s wedding.
Cole also graduated from Salmen High and headed into law enforcement shortly after high school, starting his career as a jailer with the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office. He got his first job as a police officer on the streets when he joined the Mandeville Police Department before taking a position back in Slidell in 2007, where he started seven years of work as a detective with the SPD.
Cole worked primarily in narcotics, and also served on the St. Tammany Parish Narcotics Task Force, while working as a member of the Slidell Police Department SWAT Team.
Slidell Chief Randy Smith said Cole is a model officer from day one and the accident has left the entire police department in shock.
“John Cole is an officer who has countless friends, both here with us and in the community,” Smith said. “As an officer he is tremendously dedicated to what he does—this is such a tragedy for both families.”
Married with two daughters, ages 4 and 6-months, Cole is one of three boys in his family in which both his brothers passed away—one as an infant.
While State Police have taken the routine blood samples from Cole for toxicology tests, and stated in their press release that they “suspected” the use of alcohol in the accident, Smith said he is asking others to not put their focus on blame in the situation.
“Right now we want to focus on praying for both of these families for the terrible tragedy they have gone through,” Smith said. “It does no good trying to blame anyone now and we still do not know for certain whether alcohol was the reason for this accident or not.
“The families and friends of these two young men need our prayers and that is what we need to do now,” he added.
SPD Public Information Officer Daniel Seuzeneau said he is one of many other officers on the force who grew up in Slidell with Hanlon and Cole. He was with Cole on Saturday at the gym to work out and remembers him as one of the kindest people he has ever known.
“So many people like to say that someone would give you the shirt off their back, but John Cole is truly, truly someone who would do anything for you,” Seuzeneau said.
“If I really needed one person to help me in a situation, John Cole would be the guy I would call. He would be there any time of the night or day,” he said. “He didn’t just have many friends on the Slidell Police Department, but he had hundreds of friends in this community.”
Seuzeneau cited one example of the impact Cole had on people he encountered, noting that a particular weekly detail Cole worked led to the owner of the business beginning to purchase Christmas presents every year for Cole’s daughters.
“Even though his job was to put the drug dealers in jail, this guy had compassion on those people as well,” Seuzeneau stated. “We’re all so much in a state of shock by this—for both families. These were two great guys who were always about helping others, volunteering for charity events—whatever they could do to help other people.”

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Slidell police officials reported that a Social Media threat through Twitter that suggested someone was going to “shoot students at Salmen High School” on Tuesday was nothing more than a prank.
Slidell Police Chief Randy Smith reported that someone used Twitter to send out a message that suggested a host of students were going to be shot at Salmen on Tuesday.
As word spread throughout the school, over half of the students there apparently were taken out of class by their parents, one official reported.
But late Tuesday, Smith said their investigation revealed the threat was nothing more than a prank that his officers are taking very seriously to pursue.
“I can assure you this alleged prank was not funny and the persons responsible will be charged with a serious felony crime,” he said. “We will not tolerate any pranks or threats such as this.”
Smith said the technology now available to the department makes it “very likely we will find out who did this.”
Slidell Police investigators are awaiting information from the authorities at Twitter and also asking anyone with information to submit a tip by utilizing one of the following: CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111, the Slidell Police Department’s app, Slidell Police Facebook site, e-mail, or call directly to the department at 643-3131.
Anyone with information can submit it anonymously and may be eligible for a cash reward.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The prospect of south Slidell seeing the return of a library branch was put on the back shelf for now after the recent vote by the St. Tammany Parish Council, rejecting a request by the Library Board for increased millage.
The St. Tammany Library system was given 6.29 mills in property tax money by parish voters nearly 20 years ago, but the Library Board has consistently managed with millage that was never at its max. Currently the board is receiving 5.350 mills.

Parish Library Director Donald Westmoreland was hoping that this year the Parish Council would approve a request for the library system to begin receiving the maximum 6.29 mills, which would bring in close to $1.5 million more a year that would be spent on a laundry list of capital expenses.
Westmoreland provided a detailed package of financial information to the Parish Council, showing the needs for approximately $15 million in capital improvements to many of the 12 library branches.
“We have managed for years with lower millage than the voters approved,” Westmoreland said. “But after this vote by the Parish Council, which was very disappointing, I think it shows we might have hurt ourselves with the restraint we have shown.”
Many of the 12 library branches in St. Tammany are between 20 and 40 years old and most have had few capital improvements since they were built. The Library Board has managed to address only the most critical capital problems by saving a little money from year-to-year.
But Westmoreland said the current millage is only enough for maintenance and to operate each year, and not provide $15 million for capital improvements that are badly needed at many branches.
The library director had a plan to utilize the additional millage in a way that would have freed up $400,000 a year currently being paid for the recently built Madisonville library. That facility was the first new library built in St. Tammany Parish in 20 years.
“No parish has growth like we have, but I think the restraint shown by the board for many years has perhaps indicated to the Parish Council we don’t need that additional millage money,” Westmoreland said. “Yes, we can operate on what we have, but we cannot do the capital improvements on many facilities as we need.”
One of the next projects for Westmoreland was to bring the south Slidell branch back, after it was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. The branch was the fifth busiest of all library branches and there was a plan in place to either purchase or lease a building in south Slidell to add the branch to the area.
Now, Westmoreland said, he is only “hopeful” that sometime next year they may be able to find a way to afford the branch.
Re-opening the south Slidell branch was just one of 10 areas where additional capital money was needed throughout the parish, according to the financial report Westmoreland presented to the Parish Council.
However, the 8-6 vote to reject the additional funding was mainly a response by council members to what they said was a “no new taxes” cry from their constituents. The Parish Council meeting when the vote was taken included a handful of residents there to insist on no additional millages that would cost them in their property taxes.
Westmoreland said the average value of a home in St. Tammany Parish is $170,000, and if the millage had been passed, it would have cost the owner of that home approximately $8.93 more each year on their property tax bill.
“We are a community that prides itself on education and the libraries provide the basic tools for people to be self-reliant,” he said. “I felt like an additional $8.93 more per person a year was no more than what we all might spend on one visit to Amazon.com.”
Westmoreland provided data to show the steady use of the library, despite the growth of Social Media and the Internet. In 2013, the St. Tammany library system had 1,057,359 visitors and 1,223,728 items checked out. The library has an increasing number of computers for free usage and had 181,566 computer sessions in 2013.
The system director suggested that recent revelations in St. Tammany Parish of wrongdoing with public money by several elected officials may have had some influence on the vote.
“Considering the climate we are currently seeing in St. Tammany Parish, all government money is being scrutinized more closely now,” he said. “But that doesn’t change the fact the library has many pressing capital needs that our current millage will not support.”
Looking ahead, Westmoreland said he would wait for the next Library Board meeting to see what direction they will go.
“We’re big boys here and will continue to do the best we can with what we have,” he responded. “Libraries are still very important to our communities and offer a lot of services. Instead of people having to buy everything, the library provides shared resources. That is an extra value to us all.”
The library has a multitude of services, including audio books, free movie rentals, music rentals, online book clubs, children’s programs, adult lectures and seminars, outreach programs, reference services, free computers to use, free computer classes, volunteer tax return assistance, magazines, newspapers and genealogy services.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

“The peace that passes all understanding.” Philippians 4:7.
In some ways it is a Bible verse that sums up the search of mankind. Everyone wants success, perhaps a few dollars in the bank and respect from their peers—but ultimately all humans are seeking peace as they live their lives on this Earth.
Many people who find running for fitness will say there is great peace during that time. And for a lifelong Slidell resident named Bobby Beck, his search for peace certainly began in that way.
For Slidell sports fans that have been around a few decades, the name Bobby Beck will forever be synonymous with the best track and field athlete the city has ever known. Under the guidance of Salmen High track coach Jimmy Roper, Beck emerged in the late 70s as the best distance runner in the state, and ranked among the best in the nation.
Beck was undefeated as a distance runner as a junior and senior, won 10 state championships in track and went to LSU on a college scholarship that eventually led to the Olympic trials in 1984. As an All-American college track star, he got ever so close to the grand dream of running in the Olympics, but came up short. He said he will always remember a summer day in Canada in 1985, the final time he took the track in a competitive race.
“I was trying to get a time that would be good enough for the Olympics, but after running a race in Canada that summer, I remember getting in my car and leaving the stadium, and I never ran competitively again,” he said. “I gave it 100 percent, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I didn’t have a sponsor so I could train full-time and it came down to money.”

Beck said he used to enjoy the endless miles of training during high school when he found peace and was able to relax. But now, over 30 years later as he continues a professional career as a highly successful chiropractor in Slidell, Beck has found a new love—and a new way to find peace.
“It all started after Katrina,” Beck said from his luxurious home in Slidell. “I was like everyone else. We had a foot of water in the house, I looked around and saw everything destroyed, and needed to do something to rise to this challenge.”
A friend introduced him to painting even though he admitted he had never painted in his life. But somehow there was a new connection to peace for Beck, and nine years later it is the new love of his life—along with his new wife, Suzy.
Not only has Beck, now 52 years of age, discovered painting as a great outlet towards peace in his own life, but as a Christian man he is using his talent to help others.
“Painting has helped me find peace in my life,” he said. “It brings me to a place of surrender to God. Maybe that’s why I like to paint some pictures of churches, with many colors to portray different kinds of churches—it speaks of the search for spirituality for us all.”
But Beck said he also believes his new connection to painting was led by God so he could help others. He said he continually paints art for those who have had difficulties in life, or challenges that he can paint about—all in the hopes of bringing peace to others.
“I want to minister to people through my art,” he said. “When I know someone has lost a loved one, a friend, even a pet, I can do a portrait and hopefully help them.”
Beck laughs when asked about his talent, and whether he had painted at a younger age.
“I never painted in my life before Katrina,” he said, smiling as the spots of gray hair showed the years past his days of stardom on the track. “I don’t consider myself an artist; I’m more of an expressionist. I paint what I feel, especially when someone tells me about a difficulty in life. I feel that when I paint for them.”
Beck said the closest thing to being an artist had been an interest years ago in carving ducks. But along with painting after Katrina came an increased interest in woodworking, and he has a multitude of furniture pieces in his home that he built from old cypress wood retrieved from abandoned buildings. For that matter, beams in the house he built in Slidell came from an old church in Crowley, La. that was being torn down.
Many of Beck’s paintings depict the search for spirituality, and many of those paintings have faceless individuals standing off from the church buildings, all with long, shadowy legs.
“When I used to run it was frequently late at night and my shadow was always long from the street lights,” he said. “That’s why so many of my paintings have people like that.”
He also enjoys landscape and outdoors art, with virtually all his art having special meaning of his own life, or that of his family. Several of his outdoor scenes involve between 60,000 and 80,000 brush strokes to capture the incredible color of trees on a fall or winter day.
Beck acknowledges that painting has become the new passion in his life, after track was it for his early years, and his professional chiropractic career took over in his 20s.
“I was passionate about running, but now I’m passionate about my art,” he added. “Sometimes I have painted all night long and gone to work the next day and felt refreshed. This has become a way for me to express my thoughts and has brought great pleasure to me.”
A third subject for Beck is what he calls “whimsical, circus-type characters.” He recently painted that kind of portrait for a woman whose dog died.
“I have painted things that connect to my life—difficult times in my life, but the paintings make me laugh, even today, when I look at them,” he said.
Another unique aspect to all of Beck’s art is the framing of his portraits. He uses old cypress wood “skin,” the outer part of the tree that is left after boards are cut.
“One time I was at an art show in New Orleans and a guy was more interested to buy my frames than my paintings,” Beck said with a laugh. “It definitely is something different I use on my art.”
Beck graduated from LSU in 1984 with a micro biology degree, saying he always wanted to be a doctor. After pursuing the dream of the Olympics for nearly five years, he made the decision to become a chiropractor, but at the same time he was in school for that degree, went to night classes to obtain an Exercise Rehabilitation Masters Degree.
Showing the drive that led him to great success as a track star, Beck took 36 hours of classes for two years continually to prepare him for the next chapter of his life. He began as a chiropractor in Metairie, and quickly connected with neurosurgeon Dr. Bert Bratton before returning to Slidell to open his clinic here, where he teamed up with Bratton for pre- and post-operative work on Bratton’s clients.
“Dr. Bratton had such faith in me and is one man who always did what he said he would do, and asked nothing in return,” Beck said. “That’s the same way Jimmy Roper was—he taught me a lot, like Dr. Bratton did.”
Beck continues to operate his chiropractic clinic in Slidell with an emphasis on strength and conditioning, “something Dr. Bratton believed in.”
Beck said his passion in life has three chapters—track, his professional work, and now the art that he discovered after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
“I’m not interested in selling my art, although I’m not saying it would hurt to sell something once in a while,” he said with a laugh. “But truly, I consider what I do ministering through art.
“I find people in need and see what I can paint for them,” he added. “This has brought me more peace in my life than ever before. It’s helped me to accept things more—to surrender—and I know this is what God wants me to do.”

Beck has three sons from his first marriage, and now has two step-sons with Suzy, whom he married five months ago.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Funeral services were held on Monday for Slidell Police Officer John Cole, who died on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from injuries he received in an automobile accident on Sunday, Sept. 7.
Cole was driving a 2005 Jeep on Hwy. 433 outside of Slidell near the Rigolets when he lost control at approximately 4:33 a.m. Also killed in the crash was Daniel Hanlon, a longtime friend of his, who was a coach at Salmen High School.

Funeral services for Hanlon were held last week at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Slidell, while services for Cole were held at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.
On Monday, over 600 people packed the Slidell Auditorium for the Cole services, which ended with a police procession to Honaker Funeral Home. Law enforcement from the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office, as well as various regional agencies, turned out to show their support.
“Words cannot describe the tremendous loss of both Detective Cole and Daniel Hanlon,” Slidell Police Spokesman Det. Daniel Seuzeneau said in a press statement. “Both were engaged with our local community; Cole a public servant and Hanlon a teacher/coach. Each one strived to make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis, and while doing so, touched the hearts of many.”
The GoFundMe link titled “Det. John Cole Memorial Fund” is the official fund for those who wish to donate to the family, Seuzeneau said. “The fund is being established to help with expenses for the family, and to establish a trust fund for his two daughters, age 4 and 6-months.
Cole, a graduate of Salmen High, has worked his entire life in law enforcement, first as a jailer for the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, then with the Mandeville Police Department, before he joined the Slidell Police Department in 2007 as a detective working primarily in narcotics.
A scholarship fund has been set up in memory of Hanlon and donations may be made to Pope John Paul II High School. Funds can be mailed to Pope John Paul II High School, 1901 Jaguar Dr., Slidell, LA 70461, Attention: Daniel Hanlon Fund. For more information, call 985-649-0914.
Hanlon, also a lifelong Slidell resident who graduated from Salmen High, was a former assistant football coach for Pope John Paul High School and was the powerlifting coach there, leading the team to a state championship.
He also coached at Chalmette High for one year before returning to Salmen this past year as an assistant football coach. Hanlon was a member of the Salmen High state championship football team in 2000, as was Cole.
Hanlon was preceded in death by an older brother, while Cole was also preceded in death by two brothers.

Slidell Chief of Police Randy Smith issued a statement, saying “the upcoming days are going to be rough for all of us, but we will get through it. I want to thank the community for their overwhelming show of support for these two men, who dedicated their lives to helping others.”

By JOHN BINDER
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Drivers may soon be paying more for a driver’s license and any other transaction at the Slidell Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) thanks to an ordinance the Slidell City Council members say will help keep the office open.
Under the proposed ordinance, the Slidell DMV would tack on an additional $3 fee to all transactions in order to keep the Slidell location open after crippling state budget cuts to the department.
However, Slidell resident Fred McDonald said there is no proof that the state is eyeing to close the Slidell DMV, saying that in fact, DMV officials said last year the Slidell location was one of the offices that would not be closed.
McDonald said the proposed ordinance states the new fee is because of a possible closure, but asked for documentation from the City Council on the claim.
“Why would we impose more bills on Slidell when the state should be doing this?” asked McDonald.
McDonald said the additional fee would only further initiate a plan in which city governments pay fully for their DMV offices, rather than the state covering most of the costs. McDonald said the city should not “step in and try to fix this” for the state.
Mandeville’s DMV collects a $3 transaction fee, which it began back in January 2013 in order to keep its doors open.
Last year, DMV Commissioner Stephen Campbell told the City Council that at the time, there were no plans to close the Slidell DMV location.
Annually, the Slidell DMV office takes care of over 80,000 transactions.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – When Darryn DeWalt was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, he and his wife didn’t know they were about to embark on a ride that would entail much more than simply getting treatment for the disease.
Since beginning to fight cancer over five years ago, Darryn and Cherine DeWalt have learned about the challenges of navigating through the health care system as they tried to find the best doctor, the right treatment, and make decisions that could have life or death consequences.

The result was that the pair, both marketing professionals, formed a non-profit organization named “Get Checked or Check Out,” which is raising money to help those with the disease, and also support research. They are now heading towards one of their biggest fundraising events ever when Fritchie Park in Slidell will be the site on Saturday, Nov. 1 for the Northshore Gladiator Games—a full day of fun activities for individuals and families. (See separate story for details to sign up.)
“Anyone who suddenly has cancer runs into this same problem,” Cherine said. “There is so much to know about what to do. It’s very difficult since most people go into it never having faced cancer before.”
While Darryn is a success story of his own, fortunately finding the right treatment that has kept him alive and doing remarkably well for his condition, both he and Cherine realized along the way that they wanted to do more than simply survive.
“We wanted to help other people who have come into this situation. God has blessed us to still be here and considering everything, we are doing OK,” Darryn said. “The man upstairs isn’t done with me yet.”
Both Darryn and Cherine have spent their professional lives in arena that includes marketing or working with the public. Darryn was a former radio talk show host in Wisconsin before coming south, while Cherine has a Masters Degree in Marketing. The twosome knew they had a lot to offer in the way of raising money for research, and to help others who faced financial difficulties that cancer brought—frequently not covered by insurance.
Since forming “Get Checked or Check Out,” their group has already raised tens of thousands of dollars to help people individually, and to go towards research for a cure. Darryn’s work in the past had already led him to connect with professional athletes, and since coming south in 2008 he increased his contacts with members of the New Orleans Saints, who are becoming an increasingly big part of the fundraisers “Get Checked Out” is holding.
This past spring the first annual “Saints Ahoy Charity Fan Cruise” was held that brought together 300 fans and Saints players for several fun-filled days on the open seas.
“That was an incredible event,” Darryn said. “We raised a lot of money for research and to help people locally, and fans got a chance to visit up close with many Saints players.”
The second annual “Saints Ahoy Charity Fan Cruise” is now set for March 26-30, 2015, traveling to Cozumel, Mexico, and Darryn said he expects close to 600 people on that trip.
Another growing fundraiser is the “Football Camp for Her” that is heading for its fifth year. This unique event is a health expo that raises awareness and funds breast cancer research. Last year, Saints players Pierre Thomas, Kenny Stills and Lance Moore were involved in the event at the Northshore Harbor Center.
But the Northshore Gladiator Games 2014 should prove to be a huge endeavor that not only can raise money for the cause, but offers families a great chance for fun in a group setting. There will be a 5K Bike Race, a 3K Family Bike Race, 3K Walk, Business vs. Business Tug-of-War, 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Softball Tournament and Obstacle Course for teams, as well as a special obstacle course for law enforcement groups to compete against each other.
“We are not only trying to raise money for local people needing help, and also to fund research, but we want to do things that support local families,” Darryn said. “The North Shore is such a tight-knit community so we wanted to do things where families can have fun together. We think the Gladiator Games is going to be a fantastic day of fun.”
As for the funds raised through their work, Darryn and Cherine said that some of their past experiences with other non-profit organizations led them to want to form their own group, where they could be sure where the money was going.
“Too many bigger national groups use so much of the money for administration and it’s not really helping people as much as it should,” Darryn said. “We want to know what is happening with the money we raise and make sure it’s going to the right places, and that’s why we formed our own organization.”
He said that from a recent Black & Gold Hoops Challenge they raised enough money that paid for 40 men to get prostate exams, who otherwise wouldn’t have had it done.
Yet another new program the group is starting is “Amer-i-can” for Cancer, which is a recycling program for aluminum cans, connected to local schools that allows them to collect the cans, donate them to the cause and get 20 percent of the money back for their own schools. It helps “Get Checked Out” and benefits the school children as well.
While Cherine and Darryn now spend all of their time working for the “Get Checked Out” cause, Darryn is still a five year cancer survivor. But part of his recent journey showed the difficulty many people face in making decisions about treatment.
Since initially being diagnosed at the age of 50 with pelvic and bone cancer, he went through much radiation and chemo that seemed to only provide minimal help. He finally agreed to an experimental drug test, but took almost a year to finally get the drugs he had initially been told about.
After beginning the new treatment earlier this year, one tumor in his abdominal cavity has dissolved and the others have been dramatically reduced. But he had to change hospitals and go to his original doctor in New York to finally get the treatment.
“There is help out there if you can find the right treatment,” he said. “But for most people, it’s very difficult to know where to turn or what to do. Most people who are told they have cancer have never dealt with it before.”
To assist in that area, one of the programs available through “Get Checked Out” is a patient navigator, who will assist an individual or family through the challenges of treatment or getting resources in their fight.
“We understand that for the health care industry, cancer is a business,” Cherine said. “But we see these people up close. They are mothers, dads, kids—they are not a factory line at Ford—so we need to make sure that whatever we are doing as a non-profit is directly helping them.
“We’ve been blessed with Darryn’s situation so we are trying to give back to others facing the same situation,” she added.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer with “Get Checked Out” or to register for any of their events can call 504-305-7563.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – A longtime problem of sewer backing up to a host of New Cross Gates subdivision homes appears it will soon be a thing of the past, with parish and utility company officials nearing the end of several improvements to the system.
While many homeowners had long considered the problem of sewer backing up to manhole covers, and at times into homes, to be a flaw in the sewage drainage lines, recent improvements to rain water drainage has confirmed the problem to be infiltration of water into the sewer lines.
Tammany Utilities is in charge of the sewer system and water drainage for that area of Slidell with the sewage system built to handle approximately 500,000 gallons of sewer at its max.

However, flow charts for the sewage plant on Military Road have shown that every time there has been a heavy rainfall, the system was inundated with over 3 million gallons of flow—far more than the system could handle.
With 3 million gallons of flow to the system, it seemed clear the additional flow was from rain water, which caused sewer backing up into yards, coming out of manhole covers, and at times backing up into homes.
Several months ago Parish Councilman Gene Bellisario was brought into the situation and has worked with St. Tammany Environmental Services Director Greg Gordon to have smoke tests run on the system, which found 84 areas of the underground sewer lines where rainwater infiltration was overwhelming the system.
Not only have those problems all been fixed, but the other problem was many homeowners opening sewer cleanouts to allow rainwater to drain, not to mention manhole covers in the street that would float open in flooding rains. Those different situations allowed hundreds of thousands of gallons of water into the sewer system and combined to back up the sewer.
As of this past week, new manhole cover seals have proven to be successful in stopping the huge amount of water into the system, and virtually all the homes where sewer cleanout lines had been opened have been identified and closed.
As of Aug. 30, new flow chart readings from the sewer plant showed that in recent heavy rains, no more than the 500,000 gallons of flow was going through the plant.
Bellisario held a recent community meeting with New Cross Gates homeowners and said he showed them all the changes that have occurred and “I believe the residents were satisfied with what we had done and they can see that we have done a lot to fix the problem.”
Bellisario said he believes a lot of misinformation on what the real problem was had been circulated for months, simply because some people with sewer backing up into their yards or homes naturally thought the sewer system was inadequate.
“The new manhole covers and the repairs to over 80 problems underground have greatly reduced the infiltration of rainwater,” he said. “But it’s no surprise people thought the sewer system was falling apart. When sewer comes into your yard or home you think the worst. They had to be concerned.”
Another bit of misinformation about what was causing the problem was when a recent power outage hit one of the sewer system lift stations—pumps in the subdivision that help push sewer along the underground lines. Bellisario said there had been a rumor that the systems were not working at all.
However, Bellisario said there is an automatic call system that notifies three people working for Tammany Utilities at any time the lift station shuts down.
“Anytime it stops, three people know it and they immediately go out and reset it to get it going again,” he said. “So we haven’t had a problem of them not working.”
Additionally, just this past week Tammany Utilities officials were on the site of one lift station in front of St. Luke’s Church where they were changing out the pumps to put in new 700 gallon-per-minute pumps. That same change was also made to the Phase 5 Lift Station. The new pumps will increase the pumping capacity by 20 percent.
Bellisario said the drainage problem at the entrance to New Cross Gates, off Gause Boulevard, has been there for years, but he believes they have addressed the water infiltration problem that was affecting the sewer lines. The next step is work being done by the parish to obtain a $10 million grant from FEMA to fund an overall drainage improvement plan that will change the flow of rainwater from north Slidell to a new parish 54-acre retention pond between Ochsner Hospital and Boyet Junior High School.
“The bigger plan could start as early as January, 2016 since it takes quite a while to get these kinds of big grants from FEMA, but we feel pretty good about our chances to get this,” Bellisario said. “That is going to address a much bigger drainage picture coming from the north and will really benefit New Cross Gates as well.”
Tammany Utilities officials said they are patrolling the area now to find any sewer cleanouts that have been opened for water drainage. They said there will be a $250 tampering fee for anyone doing it, plus the repair cost.
Besides many homeowners who had been found to open their sewer cleanouts to allow rainwater into the lines, one area businessman was so frustrated with the situation that he did the same thing to drain his parking lot during flooding rains. After Tammany Utilities came out and repaired the line, the local businessman opened the line a second time to assist drainage for his parking lot before utilities workers had to repair the line again.
“We think these kinds of situations should be a thing of the past,” Bellisario said. “We understand the frustration people have had. But the problem was never the sewer system—it’s all the rainwater going into the sewer drainage lines.”

SLIDELL – No Kid Hungry Slidell will hold a fundraiser at Moviesets in Slidell on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There will be live music, great food, shopping and entertainment, and the proceeds will go towards raising funds and awareness for the Slidell Food Bank and the No Kid Hungry Food Grants Program. Bring canned or dry good for the Slidell Food Bank.
Hollywood on the Bayou’s Ed & Susan Poole-Vintage posters and movie archives will be on display. There will be a tour a working prop house with props being available from recent Hollywood productions.
There will be gospel, rock, 1950’s, and country rock music on hand as well.
The entertainment schedule is:
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Bill Cardon & Friends, GospelRock & 50’s
1 to 2 p.m.: Day One
2 to 3 p.m.: Wilson & Wilson
Raffle winners will be named at 3 p.m.
Vendors at the event include: Antiques and Arts on First, Funky Junk & Co., Robins Rockin Cajun Jellies, Pizzolato’s, TNT Auction, B&E Gifts, C&C Curiosity & Collectables, Mistrot Vintage Tools, and local bakers and caterers.
To get to Moviesets in Slidell, from I-10, take the Old Spanish Trail exit, turn on to Berhman St., and take an immediate right into the parking lot.
For more information, contact Heidi Gray at 918-285-1138 in Slidell.

By JOHN BINDER
Slidell news bureau

ABITA SPRINGS – During last month’s five hour St. Tammany Parish Council meeting, there was shouting from the public, feuding between council members and a perceived lack of civil discourse in the council chambers altogether.
The meeting is what led President of the Women’s League of Voters of Louisiana Sandra Slifer, the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and Attorney Jeff Schoen to address civility during public meetings, speaking to the Parish Council and the public.
“After last month’s meeting, I don’t know if I’ve ever been disappointed in myself and all of us,” said Schoen. “To me, it was one of the lower points as it relates to our ability to function.”
Shoen said it was necessary for the public and Parish Council to discuss issues with “plain decency” and “human courtesy.”
Slifer, who called last month’s meeting the “marathon council meeting,” said she found it disappointing that when particular issues are brought up by the public, they are often times disregarded by the Parish Council.
“Important issues are being raised and everyone deserves to be treated respectfully,” said Slifer. “It’s disappointing that some people’s ideas are dismissed before they say a word.”
Slifer said the Parish Council’s agenda is already long and that when Council Chairman Reid Falconer extends speaking time for particular members of the public, it only further disengages the public from the process.
According to Slifer, the general public at the parish council meetings have most recently lost trust in parish government because of the revelations that have come out regarding former Coroner Peter Galvan and now District Attorney Walter Reed.
“Is it any wonder that the public has lost trust in government or that your actions are questioned?” asked Slifer.
As for the public, Slifer said there is a place and time for civil disobedience, but that it must be used strategically in order for it to be effective. Slifer told the public that they did not have to like every vote or every Parish Council member, but they did have to have good manners and respect the process.
Schoen said he reached out to Parish President Pat Brister, Falconer and President of the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany Rick Franzo about being leaders when it comes to public meeting etiquette.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

COVINGTON – Get ready St. Tammany Parish—“Miss Thang” is about to roll into town.
Brian Edwards, a Covington native, will be returning to his hometown the week of Sept. 22 for a handful of public appearances after building a highly-acclaimed reputation the past 30 years in Hollywood, working as a talent executive, producer, performer and now an award-winning book author.
Edwards packed his bags immediately after graduating from Covington High School in 1984, heading for what he expected to be success in some form or fashion with the movie industry.
Now, with his own CHS 30th class reunion planned Sept. 26-27, Edwards is looking forward to a week in his hometown after three decades of steady work in the movie business, capped in the past year by an autobiographical success in writing “Enter Miss Thang,” a story about his own challenges and success growing up gay.
Edwards will host a book signing at Barnes & Nobles in Mandeville on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by a special appearance at the Playmakers Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. when Edwards will be on stage for a Q&A session moderated by Winifred Hervey. He will attend the Friday night Covington High homecoming game, then attend his 30th class reunion on Saturday.
From the time Edwards headed to California at the young age of 18, he was determined to “do anything I could to get my foot in the door of the entertainment industry. My plan was to walk through the first open door and follow where it led me.”
It took a year, but he was hired as the executive assistant to five-time Grammy award winner Donna Summer, starting his trek up the road of success in the business. Since then, Edwards has been a working professional for 30 years in various ways, but mostly as a talent executive and talent producer for multiple television and movie productions. In 1998 he was signed as the manager of celebrity talent for the American Movie Classics network, and the Women’s Entertainment cable network.
He has worked with a long list of big Hollywood names, but claims Joan Rivers as “my second mom,” and is close friends with Cindy Crawford–both of whom wrote introductions or forwards in his recently published book, “Enter Miss Thang.”
His book is now in filming production for what is expected to be a documentary on one of the cable networks, and is rumored to be considered for a full-length motion picture after that. Edwards said he is doing all he can to maintain creative control over the book-turned-movie.
“How would I sum up my years in Hollywood?” he responded. “I’ve had so many amazing experiences with people I respect in the business, which has given me the opportunity to work with many larger than life stars.
“As for the book, I didn’t expect such acclaim, especially since I’ve made my way by being the cheerleader for others. But I wrote the book wanting to inspire somebody else the way I was inspired, especially in terms of being a young gay person,” he said.
Among those who were important in his life from his teen years was an English teacher at Covington High, Joyce Wolfe, and his mother, who always told him, “be an individual.”
Edwards said he knew he was gay from the age of 5, recalling that Christmas when his father, an ex-military man, bought him a Tonka truck, and his mother bought him a Barbie doll.
“I drove the Barbie around in the truck all day,” he said with a laugh.
He was also certain from a young age that he wanted to go to Hollywood.
“I loved the women in movies, and the handsome men, and loved the way they inspired me,” he said. “I knew I was going to Hollywood as soon as I graduated from high school.”
During his high school years he linked up with Playmakers Theater, the original on-stage production company in the little town in the 80s. He remembers trying out for his first play in the 11th grade and being heartbroken when he wasn’t picked.
“They were doing a play that had a gay theme, but when I never got called by the producer for a part, I called her back. She kept beating around the bush about why I didn’t get picked and finally I said, ‘so I’m too gay to be in a gay play?’ I was sure I would be the star, but I didn’t get picked for anything,” he said.
His first acting role came soon after in “The Sunshine Boys,” where he had four lines as the patient in one scene.
“I know the play was a huge success became of my four lines,” Edwards said jokingly. “But in my mind, everyone loved me and I definitely loved everything about being on stage.”
After working with Summer, he got another excellent job as an assistant to famed talent agent Betty Fanning, then vice president of commercials at the William Morris Agency. That eventually led to his jobs with American Movie Classic and Women’s Entertainment, where he was a part of three Emmy Award winning shows.
In 2012, the International Press Academy honored Edwards with the Satellite Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Field of Entertainment, making him only the third recipient of the honor in the academy’s history.
Always planning ahead, Edwards was setting goals from the time he graduated.
“On graduation night in Covington it was storming so I went home and typed a list of what I called 20 in 20. It was a list of 20 things I wanted to accomplish by the time I came back for my 20th reunion,” he said. “I sealed the list in an envelope and put it in my mom’s safe deposit box at Citizen’s Bank.
“When I came back for my 20th reunion, I opened the letter and went down the list. I checked off everything on there,” he added.
Writing a book was also something Edwards had always planned to do, and after starting it in 1996 and working part-time on it, he decided in 2012 that it was time to get serious.
“I was going to be 50 that year and the clock was ticking, so I changed the title, redrafted some chapters and got it finished,” he remarked.
The cover photo depicts Edwards sitting down with two shirtless men giving him a manicure and bringing him a tiara on a pillow. The crown is actually the Miss America crown won by Vanessa Williams and he said the manicure is because he gets one every week.
The book has received tremendous acclaim, making it to the national best seller list and receiving honors from The National Indie Excellence Awards for “Best Autobiography” and “Best LGBT Non-Fiction,” in addition to being named as a finalist in the category of “Best Cover Design.” The book has also won book awards from the Beverly Hills Book Awards and honors of “Best Humor” at the Benjamin Franklin Awards held in New York City.
“The feedback on this book has been simply tremendous,” he said. “I have gotten letters and e-mails from people who have been bullied, and they said it inspired them to push past all that.”
Edwards said he determined at a young age to not allow any gay discrimination hold him back, using humor to deal with it, even though there were times he admits “going home and crying on two difference occasions. But for me it wasn’t anything like today when kids go home and kill themselves.”
His advice for others is to realize “nothing is ever as bad as it seems and things will always get better.”
Edwards is returning to Covington, in part, to thank the Playmakers Theater for helping him feel accepted and get his start. He is donating all proceeds from the Wednesday Q&A session to the theater, as well as the author’s royalties from the book sales at Barnes & Nobles.
He is donating royalties from the sales of his book to God’s Love We Deliver (GLWD), a nonprofit organization that delivers more than 4,500 meals each weekday to those struggling with life-altering diseases throughout New York’s five boroughs, Newark and Hudson County, New Jersey.
The book is currently available on amazon.com and most book stores.

By JOHN BINDER
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – St. Tammany Parish School Board member Ray A. Alfred died from a heart stroke on September 17 at the age of 60.
Alfred, a lifelong resident of St. Tammany Parish, served on the School Board representing District 14 for 24 years over six terms. Alfred represented parts of the Slidell area including Brock Elementary and St. Tammany Junior High among others.
St. Tammany Parish Superintendent Trey Folse said Alfred was “passionate about his work” on the School Board.
“Ray believed every child had the right to a strong public education system,” said Folse. “We are grateful for his dedication to the school system and the children of St. Tammany Parish. He will be deeply missed by all of us.”
Board President Elizabeth Heintz of District 2 called the death of Alfred a “great loss” for the school board, citing his commitment to public education.

(See Alfred, Pg. 7A)
“Ray was a true family man but spent many hours away from his children and grandchildren because he knew the importance of ensuring the best for all of the children in our community,” said Heintz. “We will miss him both personally and professionally.”
Alfred was set to serve another term starting in 2015, as he was unopposed in this year’s election cycle.
Alfred was a Slidell High graduate who was a businessman in Slidell, before he joined the School Board in January of 1991. He served in 2010 as the Chair of the Business Affairs/Administrative Committee as a Whole.
Alfred was also the Louisiana School Boards Association District One Director and was recognized by the National School Board Member Recognition Program for his outstanding commitment to public education.
Services will be held Saturday, September 27, 2014 at Hartzell Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Slidell. Visitation will be held from 9am until 11am and the service will begin at 11am.

By JOHN BINDER
Slidell news bureau

COVINGTON – Under new direction by Board President Bill Magee, the Council on Aging for St. Tammany (COAST) Board of Directors appears ready next week to remove a board member from the agency who has had differences for some time with other members of the board.
Though Magee declined to name the board member in question, sources close to The Slidell Independent have said the board member is former board President Kathleen Javery-Bacon.

“There were some members of the board who have brought up issues with the board member,” said Magee.
Javery-Bacon is facing charges by the board that have spanned over the past year. Javery-Bacon is one of the last members on the COAST Board of Directors who was aligned with former COAST Executive Director Mary Toti, who was fired by the board in April of this year after months of problems, and criticism from senior citizens who were attending the centers.
The other member aligned with Toti, Ray Canada, was term-limited out of his spot on the board back in July.
When the board voted to fire Toti over four months ago, Javery-Bacon voted to keep Toti around, even though she had been accused of ignoring senior citizens, neglecting media outlets and micromanaging the board.
Magee said the board action to remove the board member will take a two-thirds vote by the board. Magee said the letter that was sent to the board member will be available at the Sept. 29 special meeting.
Javery-Bacon will have the opportunity to defend herself at the special hearing, but it will only take a two-thirds vote by the board to remove her.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Pat and Gloria Miramon don’t get to go dancing much anymore, but it will forever be a memory of good times that began when the two met at a high school dance in New Orleans in the 1940s.
“I went home and told my mama that he was a great dancer, but he was really short—about 5-2,” Gloria said with a laugh.
That all changed when Pat came home from three years in the U.S. Navy. He had sprouted to about 6-feet and it didn’t take long for a romance to begin, leading to a marriage that is now 65 years and counting.
Today as they are both in their 80s, Pat and Gloria are dealing with the normal health issues that creep up with age and the days on the dance floor are unfortunately behind them.
But over the past 65 years together, Pat Miramon built a reputation as the premier homebuilder in the Slidell area who developed over half of the subdivisions here, and he did it thanks in part to the steady support of his wife, who quietly filled the role of wife and mother to their four children.
Gloria Miramon admits she is an “old school Catholic woman” through and through. Raised in a Catholic home and school, she said her teaching from the nuns as a young girl stuck with her throughout her life and it is the reason she never sought the spotlight in any way during her many years in Slidell.

For that matter, as much as Pat Miramon is probably one of the most recognized names in Slidell, Gloria Miramon has been the exact opposite in avoiding the attention, but quietly providing the strength and support for her husband’s work for over six decades.
Gloria grew up in New Orleans with one sister before her siblings increased by one when her father adopted a girl from Germany who was living in an orphanage.
“My sister got to know this girl—her name was Crystal—and we all spent time together. But she lived at an orphanage so when she was 18 and was going to have to leave to be on her own, my daddy said he wanted to adopt her,” Gloria said. “He said that she would get one third of anything we ever had to inherit and my sister and I were fine with that. We really liked her.”
Gloria first met Pat at a high school dance when she was only 14.
“But when he came home from the service I needed a date for my prom, so his mom suggested I ask him. We ended up double dating and that was the beginning of us being together,” Gloria said.
Pat said his mother actually kept writing him letters as he served in the Pacific, urging him to consider dating Gloria when he got home.
“I remember that I was four years older than her when I left for war,” Pat said. “I kept thinking of her as a young girl. But when I got back after three years, she was 17 and a really good looking girl.
“She has always been attractive and has always been a good dresser. I always used to think that when she came into a room, she looked like ‘Pat Miramon’s wife’—and I liked that,” he added with a grin.
Gloria graduated from the former Annunciation High School, a Catholic school in the city, with her father working as an insurance agent and her mother staying home to raise the kids.
“Back then the women did not work. They stayed home with the children,” Gloria said. “If I could give any advice to a woman today it would be to stay home with your kids as soon as you can manage to do it.”
Gloria especially remembers the lessons she learned growing up in a Catholic School. She was taught that a woman was there to support her husband, raise the kids, have supper on the table at night and take care of the home.
“I still believe those things today,” Gloria said. “The woman is not supposed to be out in front of everyone.”
After dating Pat for nearly two years, the couple were married on Nov. 13, 1948 and Pat was already starting to learn the home construction business from his father. He was beginning to have success, but then his dad built a Gulf gas station on Chef Menteur Highway and Pat was asked to manage it.
“I really enjoyed building, but I switched to the gas station because my dad asked me to,” Pat recalled.
Gloria said she was “delighted” when after five years Pat and his dad sold the station and he returned to homebuilding.
“Pat has always been such a hard-working man. He has always provided for his family, even when things were difficult,” she said. “But that gas station had him there late every night. I hardly saw him and I didn’t like that. At least building houses he was home at night.”
The North Shore presented new opportunities for building homes and in the late 50s Pat joined with a partner to develop his first subdivision in River Gardens. That was followed by Westchester and Lakewood subdivisions and Pat Miramon was quickly becoming one of the best known businessmen in Slidell.
The couple finally decided to move here because Gloria said she was so worried Pat would get in an accident driving home at night.
“There was no interstate back then and it was a hard drive back to our home,” Gloria recalled. “Father Tim was at Our Lady of Lourdes and he kept telling me, ‘Sugar, you need to move to Slidell.’ He called all the women ‘Sugar.’”
Their first home in Slidell was on Bayou Liberty and it became the first time Gloria began to realize her husband was extremely successful.
“All those early years of building Pat never told me anything about the money,” she said. “And I was OK with that because I was doing my job—taking care of our four daughters and keeping the home.”
But when they moved to a luxurious home on Bayou Liberty, followed by Pat taking Gloria into town and buying her a 1963 Cadillac with all the bells and whistles, she remembers a thought.
“When he bought me the Cadillac it was the first time I remember thinking, ‘we must be doing pretty well.’ But in terms of me knowing what Pat was doing with the business, I usually found it out by reading it in the paper, not from him telling me,” she chuckled.
The couple made lots of friends since Pat was getting invited to every social function in town, and when Pinewood Country Club opened in the 60s, it was the hot spot to go.
“We danced there every weekend,” Gloria said. “But other than Pinewood, back then we would take turns going to the home of different friends, so for me, it was about cooking a great meal for our company. That’s how everyone entertained back then.”
Everything wasn’t rosy for Pat through those early decades of building. He said he almost went broke on two occasions, but always managed to get an extension from the lenders to pay his mortgages.
“I almost lost Westchester and then I almost lost Lakewood,” Pat said. “On the Lakewood deal, the bank owned 40 percent and I owned 60 percent, but finally I had to tell them I couldn’t make the note because home sales had gotten bad. They told me to just pay the interest on the note and I said that I couldn’t do that either.”
But Pat convinced the lenders to put a moratorium on the note until he could get the business going, and after seven years, he caught up and paid off the entire $390,000. A similar situation occurred with Westchester when he was about to lose it all, only to be saved when the former Schoen Funeral Home owners approached him to buy the lot on Pontchartrain for $20,000.
“Through it all we never talked business,” Gloria said about Pat beginning to prosper. “He would give me money at the start of each year to run the entire household and I did that all year, saving anything I could by the end of the year. A few years back I had saved a pretty good amount of money that I was able to invest in the stock market. Pat was pretty surprised how much money I had.”
As their kids all grew up and left the home, Pat remembers one funny line from Gloria when the fourth daughter moved out.
“One of the cutest things she ever said, which I’ll always remember, was when our fourth daughter left for college. She told me, ‘all the kids are gone so now you have to entertain me!’” Pat said with a laugh. The couple began spending weekends in Gulfport at Broadwater Beach resort and on a yacht Pat had purchased—and as usual, the parties always included dancing into the night.
Gloria was always finding ways to contribute to the community, helping start the Junior Auxiliary here, working with Gardner Schneider and Kay Fitzmorris to bring performing arts to Slidell, and coming up with the name to start Jazz on the Bayou. She helped lead Pat into the Catholic Church before they got married and the couple has been one of the most generous in Slidell throughout the years Pat has worked here.
“I’ve always been proud of Pat for the way he has given to others, or to groups that needed it,” Gloria said. “Any time I’ve asked him to help a group or person he would always give more than I asked him to. Most people don’t know how much he has done for Slidell.”
With the kids gone, the couple began to travel around the world and Gloria had one health scare when they were in China and she was hospitalized with heart problems.
“I was so worried we would end up in a hospital that wasn’t modern enough,” Gloria said.
But she was taken to what they called a “western hospital” where all the Chinese workers not only spoke English, but picked American names.
“I had a Debbie and Edith taking care of me,” Gloria said. “It was funny. I asked them about it since I knew that wasn’t their real names and they told me they were given a list of American names to pick from when they came to work there.”
Gloria will be 85 on Sept. 27 and has had several health issues to deal with over the years, but is in overall good health today along with Pat, who continues to go to work every day at the age of 88.

By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Dr. Balminder Mangat believes he is the best psychiatrist in the parish, and he has a lot of reason to back up that thought.
Mangat was recently named the Mental Health Director by St. Tammany Parish Coroner Dr. Charles Preston, which is a position that pays $180,000 per year.

Mangat has been a psychiatrist for over 30 years, and was named one of America’s Best Doctors in 2014 by the National Consumer Advisory Board, while also receiving the Patients’ Choice Award from 2008 to 2013.
Born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in East Africa, Mangat came to the United States in 1976. He graduated college in India at age 16, and was the youngest of six children.
“I am considered common in my family,” Mangat said.
The parish mental health director comes from a family of six children. Mangat’s only brother has passed away, but his four sisters are all successful in their business field. One is a pediatrician, one is a pharmacist, the other is a business owner, while the other is a social worker.
“Both of my parents came from wealthy families, but started with no help and a humble beginning. It was important to my parents that all of us got an education. We lived in a modest home in East Africa, and while I was the youngest, I always wanted to know what my other siblings were studying,” Mangat said.
He wasn’t even five years old when he started third grade and by age 14, he had graduated from high school. From then until age 16, he went to college for science but said his heart wasn’t in it.
“I couldn’t enter medical school until age 17 so I took those other classes while I was waiting,” Mangat said.
To get into medical school in India, Mangat took a test that was taken by over 70,000 hopefuls. Only 50 people made it into the school, and not surprisingly, Mangat was one of the few. Following medical school, Mangat immediately went to work with small pox patients. He had to vaccinate thousands who were struck by the disease. From there he moved on to orthopedic surgery, but did not find it challenging.
“There was a movement in India where all males over the age of 14 had to have a vasectomy. As a house surgeon I was told I was forced to perform them, but I refused because it went against my oath as a surgeon, and against my religion. I went to jail for one week and when I got out, I got my VISA approved and flew to Chicago,” Mangat said.
His religion is Sikhism, which preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, social justice and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Mangat wears a turban and said it is because he wants to show that he can be trusted. He said if the turban is ever off, then it means he has lied.
Once in the United States, Mangat said he was amazed to see that coffee was 10 cents, but the milk was free.
“I thought ‘this is the land of the free,’” Mangat said.
From Chicago, Mangat took jobs in New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin. But Mangat said the weather was so cold he could hardly stand it.
“I had a friend in New Orleans who said he would pay for me to visit. I went down in March 1977 and never left,” Mangat said.
From there, Mangat did his residency in 1978 at LSU in psychiatry. He was named the best resident of the program and when he graduated in 1982, was offered an assistant professor position. He taught at Charity, but then decided to open his own practice.
“I came to America with 62 cents in my pocket. I never thought I wouldn’t make it,” Mangat said.
Before Hurricane Katrina, Mangat had three offices, including one in Chalmette with 16 beds.
“After Katrina, everything was gone, but I was seeing 40-50 patients in Slidell, and I did not have the heart to ask them for money. They had nothing,” Mangat said.
He had to eventually close his office in April 2006 because he ran out of money, but was quickly hired at the Bogalusa Charity ER where there was an average waiting time of 72 hours. Mangat got it down to four hours and was seeing over 300 patients a week in the clinic.
He also worked for Bogalusa Magnolia Hospital, which was two weeks away from bankruptcy, but he was able to turn things around where the hospital no longer lost money. Mangat was the only phychiatrist there.
Mangat opened his Slidell office again after picking up even more experience at a few other local facilities.
“While I started my new office I had my same patients. I am blessed. My patients get well in the end, and that’s all that matters,” Mangat said.
In 2012, Mangat said he met former St. Tammany Parish Mental Health Director Leanne Truehart.
“I thought the way she handled herself in such a dignified way was very impressive. It was done so well with the department under scrutiny,” Mangat said about Truehart’s time while working for former Coroner Peter Galvan. “When she said she was running for coroner I whole-heartedly supported her.”
But then something interesting happened.
“Chuck (Preston) entered the race, and he was a former student of mine,” Mangat said. “I called him ‘Hawk Eye’ when he was in school.”
Mangat said he thought both Truehart and Preston were great candidates for the coroner job, but after Preston won, he received a phone call.
“He called me and said he wanted me to be the mental health director,” Mangat said. “I was happy to know that a psychiatrist would be in this position.”
He said he believes patients with mental illnesses are treated as lower grade citizens.
“They have such pain that they will kill themselves to end it, but they have to wait or hope to receive great treatment. If someone has cancer, they will go through pain to get better and receive the best care right away,” Mangat said.
He believes the number one issue in St. Tammany Parish when it comes to suicide attempts and mental health issues is that there are not enough psychiatrists who work in the parish.
“It’s not rocket science. If you pay a psychiatrist what they deserve, there will be good results. The hospitals and facilities here are hiring other kinds of doctors. A nurse practitioner is offered $100,000 salary right out of college, but someone like me with 36 years of experience will be offered $40,000 a year,” Mangat said. “Mental illness is not taken seriously by hospitals here. There is no one in this area with much experience.”
Mangat said there are only two full-time psychiatrists in St. Tammany Parish.
“There are too many people here who can write prescriptions for the same medications I can, but they have a fraction of the experience. It takes an actual psychiatrist to diagnose a patient for these kinds of needs. It takes someone like me who can do that,” Mangat said.
The local doctor has been married for 40 years and has two daughters and one grandson.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The return of a library branch to south Slidell appears to have new life after St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister told an East St. Tammany Chamber group that she plans to solicit funds from the Louisiana Legislature to build a new location.
The St. Tammany Parish Library system had opened a south Slidell branch years before Hurricane Katrina struck and wiped out the location on Pontchartrain Drive.
Library Director Donald Westmoreland said he was planning to lease a building somewhere in south Slidell, perhaps in Olde Towne, and hoped to have the branch open again by the end of 2014.
But Westmoreland said he was counting on the funding for the branch to come from utilizing the maximum millage given to the Library Board by the voters. However, when that issue came before the Parish Council recently, they voted down the increased millage.
Westmoreland said that essentially killed the south Slidell branch for the near future, however, Brister has stepped in and said she is working with state representatives to seek funding in the 2015 legislative session.
“I am very confident we will get funding from the state next year that will allow us to build a branch in south Slidell,” Brister told the Chamber group last Friday during her ‘State of the Parish’ speech.
Brister will request Capital Outlay money for the 2015 budget that will ultimately come from the state. The parish must draft a feasibility study and five-year plan for funding the project, and if all gets approved at the state level, it could be guaranteed by June, 2015.
In the meantime, Brister said, the parish will secure a line of credit and begin working on a plan, with the hope of beginning construction by January, 2016.
“With only one Slidell branch in St. Tammany Parish, we need to fulfill the needs of the entire community and get a second branch up and running as quickly as possible,” Brister said.
The St. Tammany Library system was given 6.29 mills in property tax money by parish voters nearly 20 years ago, but the Library Board has consistently managed with millage that was never at its max. Currently the board is receiving 5.350 mills.
Westmoreland was hoping that this year the Parish Council would approve a request for the library system to begin receiving the maximum 6.29 mills, which would bring in close to $1.5 million more a year that would be spent on a laundry list of capital expenses.
However, that request was voted down by the Parish Council, 8-6, leaving the south Slidell branch in limbo, as well as a list of $15 million in other capital improvements to many of the other 12 library branches throughout St. Tammany.
“We have managed for years with lower millage than the voters approved,” Westmoreland said. “But after this vote by the Parish Council, which was very disappointing, I think it shows we might have hurt ourselves with the restraint we have shown.”

Many of the 12 library branches in St. Tammany are between 20 and 40 years old and most have had few capital improvements since they were built. The Library Board has managed to address only the most critical capital problems by saving a little money from year-to-year.