BAYOU EATS

“Well, breakfast is my entire life and my favorite meal of the day,” enthusiastically admits Glen Lewellyan, owner and operator of Monroe’s new favorite brunch spot Delta Biscuit Co. He sits across from his wife, Jessica Lewellyan, the restaurant’s executive chef. Golden copper curls are braided away from her face, and she sports a black chef coat. All around, servers are shuffling among tables, taking orders, and refilling cups with water. The lunch rush has dwindled, allowing the details of the space to come alive. Across from our seating, the company’s logo is mounted on an exposed sand-toned stone wall, a wavy-edged circle with the company’s catchy tagline–Life. Love. Biscuits. While simple, each word’s promise indicates the kind of food and service this eatery is dishing out daily.

Glen hails from Minden, Louisiana, and has been in the restaurant business for over thirty years. He got a job at sixteen washing dishes and worked his way up to regional director of that company. He worked for Chili’s Grill & Bar for ten years and other corporate restaurants after that for ten more, learning the ropes of the business. His culinary experiences also include working with Paula Dean and Al Copeland. As for brunch, his unwavering enthusiasm has roots in his travels to New Orleans. One particular meal in Mandeville, Louisiana stuck with him. The experience made him realize that if he was ever going to open a restaurant it would be fashioned with the feeling he was left with after the meal. He moved back to Monroe from Dallas around 2018 looking for a place to lease, but couldn’t quite get one on the level he wanted. “So, I just kind of put it on hold until the time was right to find a better property and better business partners,” he says. Meanwhile, he joined Restaurant Cotton as Director of Operations. There, he met his future wife Jessica, who at the time had worked her way up to Kitchen Manager. Her spunky wit and creativity in the kitchen sparked a connection, one that would lead to a double commitment–wife and business partner. In September of 2021, the pair began having business meetings with Joe Holyfield concerning an available property. “And he asked me if I’d go on the ride with him,” says Jessica referring to the possibility of opening up a predominantly breakfast-oriented eatery. Having grown up cooking and eating much of what Glen had in mind for the menu, she felt emboldened to take a chance. “My grandma taught me how to make everything from scratch, so that’s where my inspiration came from,” she says. Additionally, she was drawn to the idea of having more freedom in the kitchen. As a creative person, she craved a space that would allow her to construct her own dishes and tinker with ideas. “We spent a lot of time, a lot of years building other people’s dreams,” Glen adds. They both credit those years with refining their individual skillset, all the while acknowledging that they were ready to become their own bosses. “I’ve always felt like my life would not be complete if I couldn’t do this for me,” asserts Glen, adding, “And I knew that having her on my team, not only as my wife and co-worker, partner in crime, there was never going to be a better time than now.” The alignment of the stars was too clear to ignore in spite of the pandemic making the process a lot more tedious. To ease the process and help them narrow down their multifaceted ideas, they hired New York-based Emily Ackerman, owner of Salt Shaker Consulting. One of the first endeavors for the team was narrowing down the menu. Their first draft filled six pages and they needed to get it down to one page. Ackerman had them cook meals for four days a week just for tasting. A second step to refining the menu required the pair to consider dish execution, making sure dishes could be made and served on time. They had to consider what prep stations would be involved in the making of one dish and how they could work together to assist in expediting an order in a timely fashion. “There’s just a lot of pieces to that puzzle,” says Jessica, admitting that there has been a lot of trial and error, but also a lot of quick learning. Glen agrees, saying, “It truly is a creation from every aspect.”

The Delta Biscuit Co. breakfast menu is a haven for breakfast aficionados everywhere. While you’ll find familiar items like beignets, avocado toast, omelets, eggs benedict, french toast, pancakes, and waffles, ingredients and preparation are inspired by the Delta. That means each dish feels like a home-cooked meal with a flare of elegance. Jessica has two favorite menu items, one sweet and the other savory. “French toast alone is really good,” she says, but the Bananas Fosters French Toast on the Breakfast Menu is “pure decadence on a plate,” as Glen puts it. Here, Texas toast is used, topped with housemade bananas foster syrup, cinnamon butter, and powdered sugar. On the lunch menu, her recent obsession is the Pork Belly Sandwich. “It’s a lot of love and care,” says Jessica, who prepares the pork belly to marinate overnight and cooks it for six hours the next day. Made to order, each slice gets deep-fried, tossed in a homemade sweet chili sauce, placed on a brioche bun, and topped with crunchy coleslaw, the Delta sauce, housemade dill pickles, and haystack onion rings. Other lunch menu favorites include more delectable versions of southern staples like Shrimp & Gouda Grits, Country Fried Steak, and the Fried Chicken Platter, which is cooked to order.

hen asked by his team what he wanted his restaurant to look like, Glen responded, “I want it to look like a beautiful home.” That translated to comforting color palettes like the azure blue on accent walls and on the shelving behind the bar area. The simplicity of the space makes room for the vibrancy of the multicolored artwork by Todd Pavlisko. “It’s a perfect marriage between pop art and folk art,” says Jessica. The largest piece hangs from one of the exposed stone walls–two herons lazing around in the water. If you look closely at any of the prints, you’ll find a few Easter eggs such as biscuits, fresh vegetables, and even musical references. “Every element of the design of this building and of the venue is based on the Delta,” says Glen. Even their music playlist contains artists influenced by sounds within 200 miles of Northeast Louisiana. Further adding texture to the welcoming interior are some design touches by Tish Miller Design. On the floor, hexagonal black, white, gray, and beige tiles create a honeycomb pattern that flushes into the wood floor palettes. Meanwhile, the bar counter’s geometric backsplash adds to the luxury of the space, illuminated by the milky white translucent light pendants hanging overhead. Whether you are eating, sipping on one of their picturesque specialty cocktails, or both, elements of design permeate every corner of the dine-in experience.

Since the Delta Biscuit Co. opened its doors on March 22nd of this year, they have been met with a flood of support. It’s clear to customers just how much work has been poured into curating a restaurant that strives to feel like home. For the husband and wife team, that’s precisely what it is. “I love working with my family,” admits Jessica, who grew up selling produce with her family at an early age. “That’s what I envisioned for my life,” she continues, emphasizing that nobody has your back quite like family. The couple recognizes how well their strengths complement each other. Glen credits his wife for her confidence, swagger, and energy, while she calls him an architect who brings order and precision to her artistry. The dynamic between the two sets the foundation of the restaurant which permeates to their staff and their customers, proving that happiness is as simple as living, loving, and eating biscuits.

The Delta Biscuit Company is located at 2252 Tower Dr suite 101, Monroe, LA 71201 and is open Tuesday through Sunday between 7 AM to 3 Pm. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook to gush over their dish and drink items or visit their website (https://www.deltabiscuit.com/).

“I settled back into a rhythm that I had long forgotten. I used the long stretches of time to watch the Lawless write their story on the Highway. Their tires drew endless ribbons of black lines across the road, telling a story that would never be read or understood. Motorcycle clubs like the Lawless were chapters left out of books.”

Alex Temblador’s adult novel explores the challenges of identity, familial connection, and abandonment. Upon the death of her parents, four-yearold Raqi is left with her Uncle Dodge, a stranger ill suited for guardianship. Immersed into Dodge’s all white, maledominated motorcycle gang called the Lawless, the Mixed child navigates a world of crime, drugs, violence, and bigotry. Ten years after abandoning the group and becoming a successful attorney, Raqi is summoned to a Grieving Ride to commemorate her uncle’s passing. Hesitant to return, though lured by learning her real grandfather’s name after a lifetime of estrangement, Raqi joins the Lawless on a cross-country quest, reflecting on her past to make peace with her present.

The story is told in tandem, with chapters alternating between Raqi’s childhood with the Lawless and the Grieving Ride to scatter Dodge’s ashes. Along the way, Raqi encounters fragments of Dodge’s past, characters portraying a seemingly reformed version of the uncle who loved better from a distance. Raqi wrestles with the man she remembers, the girl she left behind, and the woman carrying the weight at breakneck speed on the back of a hog. Raqi oozes toughness like a job, consistently shedding a protective second skin. She mourns her uncle with an amalgam of attachment and hate, illustrating the complexity of childhood trauma and desire for healing.

Temblador’s strength lies in articulating a riveting plot, while delving into the gritty texture of story and character. Raqi feels real, aware of her flaws, yet reticent to confront the duality of resenting her past and accepting its manifestation. Temblador layers in subtle magical realism, a nod to the spirit world where we search for answers unmarred by reality. The novel’s fundamental theme of Mixed heritage, residing in one culture while the product of another, is embodied in the story’s flirtation with the real and the unreal. Temblador dares readers to question if where we come from determines who we are, and who we are when our origin story seems lost. Half Outlaw is Alex Temblador’s second book. Her young adult novel Secrets of the Casa Rosada debuted in 2018, winning several awards. She graduated from the University of Louisiana Monroe and The University of Central Oklahoma and now lives and writes in Dallas, Texas.

“Sometimes they loved me too much. They never gave up on trying to win me back even when they weren’t sure they wanted me in the first place.”

“The ethereal cloud of smoke moved around his head. It was churning, transforming into the scene that played out below. And I stood there among it all. Watching. Witnessing.”

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

BY DARIAN ATKINS

EACH YEAR, LOUISIANA DELTA COMMUNITY College honors three employees and one retiree for performance excellence. They must have contributions that exceed their expected job requirement, and a fellow employee must nominate them. Peer recognition is part of what makes this honor so special. These honorees are also acknowledged at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System’s annual conference each year in the fall. 2022’s outstanding honorees are as follows: outstanding faculty: Rock Frost, outstanding Support Staff: Emily Cooper, outstanding Professional Staff: Stacy Lynch, and outstanding Retiree: Dorothy Davis. Rock Frost teaches students in Diesel Powered Equipment Technology. He has been teaching since July 2017. In 40 years of experience, he has acquired numerous certifications and achievements. “Rock Frost is a superstar,” asserts Nathan Hall, West Monroe Campus director. “He created an advisory committee that shows up each time, and they brag about how good he is doing.” Rock’s classes and graduation classes have gotten larger with each semester. Nathan shares the secret to Rock’s success, “Rock puts his students to work!” Rock is also a master recruiter. When a tour group comes in, Rock tries to convince them how much they will like Diesel Technology. He loves what he does, and it pours over into the students. He doesn’t just teach them; he invests in them,” shares Nathan. “Rock also invests in himself to better support his students. says Nathan, “He has over 100 certifications that he has picked up on his own. When an industry partner tells about their brand-specific certification, Rock will be working on it within the week so he can offer it to his students. He is excellent.” Rock was a recipient of the League of Innovation Excellence Award, recognizing his commitment to excellence in teaching and leadership. As he continues his teaching journey, he hopes to make a difference for many years. Rock loves spending time with his family and enjoys fishing and hunting in his spare time. Emily Cooper has served as the Media Specialist for Louisiana Delta Community College for almost five years. She manages the college’s social platforms, digital advertising, and website. Emily is also the resident photographer. An invaluable asset to the college, Emily assists in event planning and coordination, generally wherever needed. Darian Atkins serves as Cooper’s supervisor and shares, “Emily is a great listener and extremely wise. This trait has served her well. Whenever she’s engaged in an official or unofficial capacity, she gives herself completely. She listens to help solve problems, improve systems, and support her colleagues. If Emily can help, she doesn’t have to be asked; she volunteers.”

In 2012, Cooper graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Louisiana - Monroe, where she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Communications. Emily is a servant leader and is passionate about community involvement. “She embraces everyone across all departments and makes time for anyone who needs it,” says Atkins. At the college, she serves on committees such as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the Foundation. She is also a member of the Monroe Chamber’s Young Professionals and the Junior League of Monroe. Cooper enjoys playing tennis, photography, spending time with family, and traveling the world in her spare time.

Stacy Lynch serves as the Director of Institutional Research. In her role, she focuses on communicating accurate, relevant data for decisionmaking at all levels and manages evidence collection for institutional and programmatic improvement and accreditation. Lynch reports to Dr. Wendi Tostenson, who said, “Her work and research for LDCC’s 5thyear review was pivotal in the report’s success. She was instrumental in collecting data, reviewing documents, and creating a chronological timeline for the reviewers. Without her efforts, our 5th-year review would not have happened seamlessly. Even though her role with the 5th year review was critical, Stacy’s daily work exemplifies professionalism and innovation.”

Stacy is beloved by co-workers, and there’s a good reason for that. “Stacy is great at her job! She is also one of the first people willing to volunteer when someone needs help, even if it’s not her job,” adds Emily Cooper, who nominated Stacy for this honor.

Stacy Lynch is a native of West Monroe, Louisiana. She is an Air Force Veteran with over 20 years of experience in education and training management, information technology, K-12 Education, Adult Education, compliance, and records management. She is a life-long learner who continuously seeks opportunities for personal and institutional improvements.

Stacy holds two Associate of Applied Science degrees from the Community College of the Air Force and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Millsaps College. She graduated with a Master of Education from the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Perhaps the most precious heirlooms are family recipes. Like a physical heirloom, they remind us from whom and where we came and give others, in a bite, the story of another people from another place and another time. Recipes are a part of our history that can be re-created over and over again. The only way they can be lost is if we choose to lose them.”

In the spring of 2021, Stanley Tucci’s show Searching for Italy presented a welcome reprieve from the long year of Covid lockdowns and general uncertainty. In the show, Tucci traveled throughout Italy, visiting restaurants and home kitchens, sampling old Italian recipes and modern fused dishes popular along the country’s majestic landscape. The most compelling element was simply Tucci’s love affair with food, its preparation, and the relationships enriched around the dinner table. In Taste, Tucci centers this food obsession, exploring his own family history in relation to cuisine and a personal cancer battle that compromised his appreciation for food. In Taste, Tucci chronicles his upbringing in New York, where his mother and father worked outside the home and traded kitchen duties. His mother dominated the space, preparing intricate dishes of Italian fare, making the most of affordable ingredients. Tucci blends household memories with family recipes, focusing on his parents’ dedication to the art of cooking. The author’s wit and humor radiate throughout the elaborate descriptions of the food’s preparation and consumption. Tucci understood the power of food as an integral building block of his family dynamic.

Tucci describes his life as a working actor, a filmography which includes hits like Big Night, Julie and Julia, and The Devil Wears Prada. Having formed a close relationship with Meryl Streep, his co-star on the latter films, Tucci shares stories of their culinary escapades off set. A particularly humorous story features the twosome ordering andouillette at a bistro in Normandy. Like his show, Tucci’s book features some social commentary, particularly his gratitude for chefs and small restaurants he fell in love with during his treks across the globe. He admittedly judges a place by its cuisine and how much its people value mealtimes. In the final chapters, Tucci details his battle with oral cancer, which required a feeding tube and resulted in an aversion to most food smells. After intense radiation and chemotherapy, Tucci slowly regained his ability to swallow and acutely focused on the pleasure of tasting. His intense affection for the fifth sense saturates each story and shared recipe, making this book essential reading for fellow foodies and memoir enthusiasts.

“When my parents are no longer alive, I will always be able to put their teachings and all the love they gave me into a bowl and present it to someone who sadly will never have had the good fortune of knowing them. But by eating that food, they will come to know them, if even just a little.”

REVIEW BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

AGRADUATE OF NEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, JENIFER Johnson enrolled at ULM after a brief stint at another institution. She longed for the familiarity of a learning environment where she felt seen. Though her parents encouraged Jenifer to take off, immerse herself somewhere else, she longed for the comforts of home. ULM’s smaller classes offered the chance to make personal connections amidst a genuine college experience. Jenifer originally majored in nursing because she wanted to help people. After a few classes, she realized the medical setting didn’t suit her personality, and she switched her major to social work. She could still help people, but in a different way more suited to her skill set and interests. Jenifer dove into her psychology and child abuse classes, invigorated by the content and encouraged by class discussions. Unafraid to contribute, Jenifer spoke up, asked questions, and made the most of what the social work curriculum had to offer.

Throughout her tenure at ULM, Jenifer worked at a local real estate company inputting listings. Jenifer matured while balancing work and school and entered the workforce post-graduation with confidence. She had interned with a drug and alcohol abuse clinic and loved interacting with the people. She felt she was making a difference. After transferring to a mental health facility in Baton Rouge, Jenifer encountered a massive caseload and quickly experienced burnout. The scope of her ability to help was limited. Jenifer returned to Monroe and her dad suggested opening a restaurant. One of Jenifer’s dreams had always been to attend culinary school.

Demetra, her paternal grandmother, prepared Greek dishes, a nod to the familial heritage. Yai Yai, as Jenifer called her, shared cooking secrets such as using rosewater to bake bread and clarified butter exclusively. Yai Yai’s backyard buttressed Jenifer’s childhood home, and she spent many hours in Yai Yai’s kitchen. Verdalia also worked for the family, and Jenifer fell in love with soul food. She found the creation of food appealing and often got lost in the process. After a hard day, the kitchen didn’t seem like another job, but rather an escape, another outlet for her brain.

In 1995, Jenifer joined her brother Jay Johnson and opened Trio’s, a local gem adjacent to the convenience store on Forsythe Avenue. The Greek side of the Johnson family always ran restaurants, so the setting again felt familiar. At 24, Jenifer found a place where she thrived. The busyness of the restaurant calmed her; she adapted well to stressful situations. When tables were full, and the kitchen was backed up, Jenifer excelled. She knew stressful situations intimately, and in this one, she knew she could contribute. And while the restaurant business seems a far departure from social work, Jenifer found the ULM education invaluable. In working with the community, Jenifer learned to interact with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. She could communicate with a staff, even in the lack of a shared history. Her people skills translated into being a good leader. She claims, “I may not be a social worker by trade, but I still am.” Trio’s got its moniker from Jay’s three kids. Jenifer worked days and nights and she could get lost in a kitchen and serve her community. She carried on the family tradition alongside her family and found a calling in the process. Trio’s has remained a beloved Monroe staple for the last 27 years. In 2020, Jenifer opened a second location in Ruston.

Jenifer has three adult sons: Michael Walker, Lleyton Walker, and Ely Walker. She is engaged to Brian Woodard and a proud member of the Monroe community that raised her. As a business owner, Jenifer appreciates ULM’s economic impact. Enamored with the campus facelift, Jenifer loves seeing the students ULM brings to the community, adding flavor to the regional culture and spice to the southern attitude. Like ULM’s mission of community engagement, Jenifer encourages local citizens to invest in local businesses, including the local university. The local schools, events, artists, etc, are all part of the fabric of this area, and it is imperative that we promote, encourage, and support development at home. ULM is committed to this mission, and local business owners are encouraged by the institution’s trajectory.

The ULM Alumni Association reaches, connects and celebrates alumni and friends to build lifelong relationships, and commit to the university’s missions of academic freedom, scholarship, diversity, excellence, integrity and service. We represent alumni who honor the traditions of our university and who share a sense of achievement and pride. We create a network of professionals, establish scholarships and advocate for our University through community engagement. Members of the Alumni Association support countless initiatives, and annual memberships are just $35. To learn more or to become a member, please visit our new alumni network at ulm.edu/alumni.

I REMEMBER that, as a youngster, thoughts of returning to school after a summer of “freedom” from the disciplines of learning were not very welcome. Of course, there was some excitement in contemplating seeing classmates again, but such excitement did not completely dispel the dread of the struggle of re-entering the arena where the battle to learn “reading, writing, and arithmetic” took place. The closer the opening day of school approached, the clearer it appeared that the summer was just too short! But alas, there was no way available to us kids by which we could extend our reprieve from the classroom. So the only option was for us to dismiss thoughts of the joys of summer and focus as best we could on the benefits of education.

In my experience, there was one exception to the annual pall that accompanied our return to school at the close of each summer. This took place the summer that ended with my entering the eighth grade. By that time, I had matured a little, and perhaps that was partially responsible for the decline in my resistance to being “educated.” As much as I might like to assign credit for my more favorable approach to the return of school to my maturation, the primary reason for the change in me was due to something altogether different. I was more ready to resume my learning because of the lady who would be my teacher that year. Let me explain.

My eighth grade teacher was to be the one who had taught us in the sixth grade. The prospect of having her as my instructor provided some hope that my year in the eighth grade would not be so bad after all! The basis of that hope lay in my experience of a couple of years earlier. In addition to being a very able instructor in our regular course work, this woman introduced us to some of the finest literature in the English language. Each day, she would reward us for perfect attendance, good grades, appropriate

behavior, etc. by reading to us from books that stirred my imagination. She introduced me to great writers and developed in me a love for reading that persists even to this day. In the process, she helped develop in me a desire for learning and, at the same time, took away my previous dread of having to go to school! She made learning interesting by being interested in her students. I can only imagine how different my attitude toward “school” would have been if she had taught me in A POSITIVE, HOPEFUL OUTLOOK IS MORE the first grade! Well, a look at the calendar LIKELY TO “FIND” SUCH A TEACHER THAN reveals that another school year A “WOE-IS-ME” OUTLOOK. is on the horizon. I suspect that there are a lot of youngsters who would like to extend summer and postpone the going back to school. However, nothing short of another encounter with Covid could possibly delay the inevitable return to the classroom. That event is almost as certain as the infamous couplet of “death and taxes.” Since the resumption of one’s education is unavoidable, are there any things that a student can do to lessen the “pain?” Possibly. One could hope for a teacher resembling the one I was fortunate to have as my eighth grade instructor – a teacher who would make the learning lab both memorable and enjoyable. This is more likely to happen if the student returns to his/her task with the intent of putting forth his best effort to be the type of student who would approximate the teacher’s concept of the kind of person her students should be. A positive, hopeful outlook is more likely to “find” such a teacher than a “woe-is-me” outlook. If students would develop such an attitude, I suspect that your teachers (who, incidentally, probably share your opinion that summer is over much too quickly), would return to their tasks more cheerfully. So, young folks and teachers alike, hold your heads up & stride purposefully and hopefully into the new learning adventure. And, have your best year ever!

article by PAUL LIPE

opinion expressed is that of the writer

The dog days of summer are now upon us. Not only are the daytime temperatures at their highest point of the year, but the water temperatures are also. A lot of the deep-water fish that were in so much abundance at the beginning of summer, now ghost the anglers using their hightech electronics in search of their whereabouts. Which begs the question, “Where did the bass go?” This late summer bass movement is due to the thermocline. Once the water temperatures climb to a certain point, when it comes to lakes, the warm layer of water being heated by the sun sits on top of a much cooler and denser layer underneath it, and they are both separated by the thermocline. The much cooler water holds less oxygen causing the bass to move from their initial summer deep stages. When these summer bass move, they do one of two things: they either suspend just above the thermocline or they move to extremely shallow water. In both cases the bass movements have more to do with oxygen content in the water than it does the availability of a food source. The food source will be wherever they decide to set up due to the same reason the bass are moving, better oxygen content.

So now that we have determined the movements and whereabout of the bass, how do we go about catching them? First let’s look at the fish that suspend. By suspending, I am referring to fish that will move into areas and not relate to the available cover. The bass will suspend over humps, inside of timber lines, deeper grass lines and even in the middle of a creek channel. These fish almost relate more to the available schools of bait than they do the cover that may be on these structure areas. The suspending aspect of the bass behavior is what makes them so difficult to catch. I am not saying they can’t be caught; I am just pointing out the difficulty in getting them to bite. Suspended fish are in a neutral mood and usually stay that way unless there is a dramatic barometric change, which might trigger them into feeding. Fish that relate to cover or to structure breaks are

generally at some point, active in their feeding habits, making them easier to catch.

Suspended bass that relate to schools of baitfish can usually be seen on your electronics sitting just below the schools. As the shad migrate the bass will move along underneath them and feed on the lower side of the school. This feeding behavior is one of the main reasons they are so hard to catch. When these bass corral the shad and feed on the surface, they become a bit easier to fish for since you can determine their location.

The key to catching bass that have shown themselves is two pronged: you must have the right lure and be accurate with your cast. I believe casting accuracy to be the most important aspect of the two. You want your lure to land within a few feet of where the fish are hitting the surface. Those fish are the most active and will not take the time to really inspect what the lure presentation is. A

cast that is a few feet off target gives the fish time to inspect and determine if it is worth chasing or not. Often these offerings are ignored.

When it comes to lure selection, I want a lure I can cast a long way and is something that resembles a shad. My personal choices are a Spook, a Rat L Trap, an In-line Mepps spinner, and a small spinnerbait with double willow-leaf blades. All these lures should be worked extremely fast and once they are out of the strike zone, quickly retrieved to make additional casts.

The second movement of bass from the thermocline will be to extremely shallow water. I have caught bass in 90+ degree water in depths less than a foot. I have found these fish to be easier to locate as well as catch in the months of August and September strictly because of their locations. Remember, water temperature isn’t the priority, the abundance of oxygen in these shallow areas, which naturally brings with it an abundance of forage, is. Once you start seeing large schools of shad dimple the surface, this is a good sign the better water quality is in the shallower depths. Bass are opportunistic feeders and by moving shallow, their lives get much easier. They don’t have to work as hard to survive. If your lake has shallow grass or flats with grass patches, these areas are bass magnets. Wind blown areas are always good as the wind will stir up the water, increasing the oxygen levels.

Rip rap or rocky banks with wind blowing on them are also great areas to look for actively feeding bass. My lure choices are basic this time of year when fishing shallow water but the one thing I have noticed over the years is that I do better on smaller lures. My standard lure choices are a Pop-R, a small 1/8th ounce Stanley

Spinnerbait, a shad colored 1.0 squarebill crankbait, a ¼ ounce chrome/blue Rat L

Trap and a red wobblehead with a six-inch natural colored worm. These smaller lures are great at catching numbers of bass but will also catch the larger fish as well.

Fishing the thermocline can be tricky but if you will keep an open mind and have a bit of patience, you might be rewarded with some good late summer fishing trips. As always this time of year, be careful on the water as more and more people will be out trying to enjoy the end of summer. The heat can be extreme this time of year so make sure you stay hydrated, use sunscreen and don’t forget to catch one for me! See you next month!

FISHING THE LATE SUMMER THERMOCLINE article by KENNY COVINGTON

BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON CAN BE STRESSFUL. Whether you are a student heading back or a parent rushing to get kids prepared for the upcoming year, The Medical Spa thinks you deserve some pampering. The staff want to help you feel fresh for a fresh start this school year. The Medical Spa will have a week full of back-to-school specials August 8th – August 12th. • Obagi Nu-Derm Kits 25% off • SkinCeuticals Corrective Products 20% off • Gift Cards – Purchase $100 for $75 (limit 4) • Teachers Receive 25% Off Treatments If you have spent time this summer outdoors in the sun, your skin may require some attention and repair. Whether it is sunspots, fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, or other common skin conditions, there are several ways you can improve your skin care routine and enjoy a more radiant complexion. The NuDerm System is designed to correct hyperpigmentation (dark spots), melasma, and transform aging skin. The system contains prescription strength 4% hydroquinone. Hydroquinone acts by inhibiting melanin production. By controlling this production, the skin becomes more evenly toned over time. This multi-step system is easy to use and available as normal-dry or normal-oily, depending on your specific skin care needs. These kits will be 25% off during our back-to-school week! If you are not wanting to purchase an entire system, then Discoloration Defense by SkinCeuticals is another great product for pigmentation concerns. Discoloration Defense is a daily-wear serum proven to help reduce the appearance of discoloration, improve skin brightness, and minimize further discoloration! The serum contains tranexamic acid, kojic acid, and niacinamide, all working together to help even your skin tone. We suggest pairing this product with a Vitamin C serum and SPF. During the entire month of August, we will do weekly giveaways via The Medical Spa’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Be sure to follow and participate for the chance to win product giveaways and VIP pricing on treatments.

The OxyGeneo Facial is a favorite treatment here at The Medical Spa. This non-invasive facial gives our patients that instant glow everyone loves. The Geneo Facial works on the inside and outside of the skin to promote natural skin oxygenation and provide solutions for all skincare concerns. Give your skin a fresh start with the NEW Geneo Glam, containing pure gold flakes, copper, and silk amino acids. This facial improves elasticity, texture, and firmness, while reinforcing the skin barrier, moisturizing, and softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Check out the Geneo Glam facial this month and active firmer more glamorous skin!

Be sure to come by The Medical Spa this month to take advantage of our specials, events, and to find out more about the medical grade skincare products offered here! We are in the James R. Wolff Building (also known as the P&S Building) in downtown Monroe. Our address is 312 Grammont Street Suite 406, across from St. Francis Medical Center. Also, be certain to follow The Medical Spa by St. Francis Medical Group on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on our weekly specials, sales, promotions, and giveaways.

BY ROBERT WRIGHT

THIS MONTH, MODEL 10/18 WILL PUBLISH THE first tri-district school calendar. The 12-month calendar will include important activity and academic dates for all three local school districts including Monroe City Schools, Ouachita Parish Schools, and Morehouse Parish Schools.

There are many residents in the region who have ties to all three parishes as students attend school in one parish system while the parent is an employee in another district. Often, the school districts will plan their year schedule that coincides with the other districts. Spring break, Thanksgiving, Fall break, Christmas and many professional development days are usually held on the same dates in all three districts. Some may have a few varying dates, but mostly, the calendars are the same. So, those who purchase and use the calendar will see similarities between the three districts.

The calendar will feature Miss Model 10/18 on the cover. Miss Model 10/18 2022-23 is Mikayla Ashley, a junior at Ouachita Parish High School. In May, the program hosted a pageant at the Monroe Civic Center. The top girls who placed in the pageant became the calendar month winners.

Girls featured in the 2022-23 calendar include: Miss August 2022 Mikayla Ashley (Ouachita Parish High School), Miss September 2022 Destiny Claiborne (Ouachita Parish High School), Miss October 2022 Hailey Payne (Ouachita Parish High School), Miss November 2022 Trinitee Hollingsworth (Wossman High School), Miss December 2022 Bailey Morrison (Neville High School), Miss January 2023 Johnna Willis (Wossman High School), Miss February 2023 Ma’Lunda Cooper (Carroll High School), Miss March 2023 Charlasia Harris (Martin Luther King Jr. High) Miss April 2023 Jailah Collie (Ouachita Parish High School), Miss May 2023 Charmaine Chisley (Ouachita Parish High School), Miss June 2023 Aerianna Williams (Bastrop High School), and Miss July 2023 Ja’Kiyah Daggs (Wossman High School). Also featured in the calendar is former Model 10/18 Captain Symiah Joseph who will be crowned as Miss Wossman High School in October 2022.

Each month of the calendar, the girls featured are displayed in a school-day outfit and a theme outfit for the month. Local businesses are featured on the pages in support of the calendar campaign. The publication hosts the dates of football games, homecoming activities, ACT test dates, holidays as well as academic dates throughout the school year.

It is being currently designed and published by the director, Robert Wright, who is the creator, photographer and designer of the student union calendar for Grambling State University and Southern University Shreveport. The Model 10/18 School Calendar has a similar design and flow. Published on beautiful full color calendar paper, the publication will also feature not only the twelve month calendar girls but all of the girls of the program with their social media contact information. There are 65 girls in Model 10/18 and each of them are brand ambassadors for not only the program, but for themselves and their scholastic and extracurricular accomplishments. Many of the girls are in dance, cheer, volleyball, basketball, honor society, debutante clinics, are working, and the majority of them are honor roll students. Some, while maintaining a full life schedule, manage to keep a 4.0 GPA. The calendar is as much a salute to them and their academic accomplishments as it is to the school calendar for which they model.

The calendar will be released during the first week of August. The girls will host a calendar signing event during their Back-toSchool Fashion Show, which will take place on Saturday, September 10th at 7:00 PM at the B.D. Robinson Conference Hall at the Monroe Civic Center. The show will feature teen fashions for school-day, homecoming dance, Friday Night game wardrobe, and a Rip-theUniform set. There will be special performances by Carolyn’s Dance Land.

The fashion show is being coordinated by Tyra George. Local vendors will be on site to sell and market their products to the hundreds of teens expected to be in attendance for the fashion sendoff to students as they return to their respective campuses. Twelve girls of Model 10/18 are graduating seniors this year and they will receive a special salute during the show. Door prizes will be given throughout the show and the girls will be given an opportunity to take the stage and walk the runway in front of their peers.

Tickets to the event can be purchased from one of the girls in Model 10/18 or on the website at www.iamrobertwright.com. Call

Factory - Louisiana Gulf shrimp is the star of this multi-layered dish. Fresh cheese-filled tortellini are tossed with tomatoes, olives, red onions and pickles.

family foods - melt-in-your-mouth herbed pork roast is paired with a delicious blend of organic herbed summer squash.

Genusa’s - this delicious blend of kosher salt, fresh basil, mint, thyme and rosemary is great for seasoning grilled meats and on fresh vegetables.

Butter Bakery - step in to Butter Bakery for a great selection of homemade baked goods including this mouthwatering fresh Rosemary Focaccia bread.

Chick - fresh basil and lemon combine pecans to create Chicken Salad Chick’s brightest flavor, Lauryn’s Lemon Basil.

styled by TAYLOR BENNETT photograph by ROBERT WRIGHT

by Guy Miller, Vice Chair Emeritus, Chennault Aviation and Military Museum

In late August many high school graduates head off to college, excited to begin the experience of living “on their own.” Those men and women a year or two older may have already settled into college life and are anticipating getting back together with returning classmates and continuing to refine plans and preparation for a post-college career. The anticipations and expectations of August 2022 are not what was always experienced by those preparing for the new school year. In 1942, college and pre-college school life became very different after America had been unexpectedly drawn into World War II. The prevalent educational focus can be discerned in a speech given by James Conant, then President of Harvard University, when on December 8, 1941 he told faculty and students “The United States is now at war.... We are here tonight to testify that each one of us stands ready to do his part in insuring that a speedy and complete victory is ours. To this end I pledge all the resources of Harvard University.” Between the draft and volunteerism a large percentage of college-age men were quickly absorbed into military service. Women of the same age found themselves needed to fulfill roles at home or in the work force to replace the absent men. Adding to the shortage of prospective college students was a drop in high school enrollments, which decreased from 6.7 million in 1941 to 5.5 million in 1944. Although the number of civilian college students declined they were somewhat replaced by soldiers and sailors sent to quickly receive types of knowledge the military needed but was not yet equipped to provide on a mass scale. Wartime education therefore began to differ greatly from that offered in peacetime. Harvard Provost Paul Buck made the new educational focus very clear when he told incoming freshmen “Obviously your first responsibility is to prepare yourself for usefulness in the war effort. . . . We firmly believe that every physically qualified man of college age should be trained for the Armed Services unless specifically assigned to other work by an appropriate federal agency.”

If a man wanted some college education his best chance was to cram in whatever he could get before he turned 18 and became subject to the draft. Obtaining a military academy appointment or an ROTC scholarship, or joining an ROTC, would not offer more time for college studies. Academy and ROTC students were allowed no more than two years of study before given a degree, being commissioned and sent off to wartime duties. This twoyear course of study was made somewhat more possible by eliminating school breaks and summer vacation and fitting in a third semester for each school year.

Undergraduates who had never experienced the pre-war college life had no reason to think military-style food on metal trays and bunk beds were anything unusual. Neither were uniforms on campus unusual because they were seen everywhere you looked. Much of the wartime faculty was older because professors came out of retirement to replace younger educators who were called to war or war-related positions outside of the campus environment.

For the most part, the expected core college classes were still being taught but many liberal arts courses were dropped from course catalogs. Military enrollment included academic testing and many enlistees had failed examination. As a result military officers strongly criticized the pre-war progressive education movement and the lack of a formalized curriculum focusing on subjects beneficial to national defense. Accordingly specific fields of “appropriate” study were now stressed in college. These fields included science, engineering and Japanese, Chinese, and Russian foreign language study. There was also an increased focus on geography and European and Asian cultures. Heretofore Americans in general knew little of foreign nations and foreign peoples but now they were required to learn about places and people they never knew existed. Students also studied current events to learn about what was happening in the larger world. Class lab work was no longer generally available because many college labs had become top secret war research centers. Colleges, like elementary, middle and high schools, also taught teachers and students what to do in case of an enemy attack.

The American economy leading up to the war had not been good and now much of the government budget reserved for schools was redirected to support the Allied war effort. With funding drying up, colleges and schools had less money available for new educational materials or infrastructure improvements and repairs. In the worst cases, there were not enough desks and chairs for all students so some stood or sat on the floor.

Colleges still needed to allow some recreational activities so students had chances to relax and feel “normal.” Weekend dances or socials were often available at schools and local USOs. Every Saturday, a seat in the local movie theater and a bag of popcorn could be had for a Mercury-head dime and a buffalo nickel wherein news reels, shorts and feature films could provide four hours of entertainment.

When the war ended and veterans returned to resume civilian lives, the government instituted assistance efforts for those whose education had been stopped as a result of military service. The funding provided by the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill, helped return colleges and college life to normal civilian standards.

Chopped Romaine, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, bell pepper, and feta crumbles are topped with perfectly grilled salmon and lemon basil dressing.

Looking for the best burger around? This classic grilled hamburger is loaded with onions, tomato, pickles and lettuce.

A dozen oysters topped with homemade Rockefeller sauce that is creamy, stringy white cheese mixed with spinach, garlic, onions and bacon topped with crunchy Panko bread crumbs.

styled by TAYLOR BENNETT photograph by ROBERT WRIGHT

Elevate your grilling game with these three delicious flavors of Kewl-Aid pickles: green apple, black cherry and strawberry.

A Grab & Go one pound Tenderloin Steak paired with crisp snow peas, diced yellow and red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and red onion pasta salad.

Shrimp Salad with chopped pecans, beets, sliced red onions, and strawberries topped with a balsamic glaze.