GARDEN DISTRICT G O O D W O O D • TA R A S PA N I S H T O W N C A P I TA L H E I G H T S LSU LAKES MELROSE PLACE BEAUREGARD TOWN
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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, J a n u a ry 14, 2026
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To see the core stage of the rocket we had been building for years rolled out of Michoud, led by a New Orleans-style second-line parade, and then to give the iconic ‘Go’ command over the radio when we tested it — I’ll never forget those moments.
Danny Heitman AT RANDOM
Some thoughts on hope as a new year arrives
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As a journalist, I often get to connect with people throughout the year who are smart and thoughtful, and I treasure what they say about their life and work. Their ideas about hope come back to mind each January as I try to cultivate a brighter view of the future. A new year can renew our sense of possibility, though that kind of confidence might be hard in such an anxious world. Here are some pearls of wisdom I encountered last year, words that have helped me keep things in perspective. Last October, I attended an evening program with Essie Chambers, winner of the 2025 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Now in its 18th year, the award honors the legacy of Gaines, the Louisiana author best known for Chambers “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Gathering of Old Men.” I’ve worked in a small way as a volunteer for the awards program, which is curated by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, so meeting Chambers was special for me. She was honored because of her debut novel, “Swift River,” which has gotten widespread acclaim since it was published in 2024. As Chambers pointed out when she discussed her novel at the Baton Rouge ceremony, success as an author came slowly for her. For a long time, Chambers recalled, she was known as one of those people always trying to finish a novel. “It took me almost 10 years to write ‘Swift River,’ ” she told listeners. “I do think there can be courage in small steps.” The point is that progress moves so slowly at times that it can seem almost imperceptible. But steady effort over time can eventually pay off, as Chambers and her debut novel make clear. It’s a good point to keep in mind in this season of New Year’s resolutions, when so many of us get discouraged if results don’t come instantly. The important thing, Chambers suggested, is to make a start somewhere and chip away at it, even when the finish line seems elusive. “Beginning is a messy business,” she said, “full of doubt and stubborn hope.”
1GN
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AMANDA GERTJEJANSEN
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ERIC BORDELON
Boeing senior production manager Amanda Gertjejansen is coordinating efforts among various departments to build one of the Artemis rocket’s most important components.
ROCKET SCIENCE Meet the La. native helping NASA send astronauts back to the moon
BY MATTHEW HAINES Contributing writer
In as soon as six weeks, NASA plans to send four astronauts back to the moon. Not to land on it just yet, though that’s set to take place on the following mission. This time, they aim to travel in a wide orbit around the moon’s dark side — the first time humans will have left the Earth’s gravitational pull since the Apollo missions more than 50 years ago. It’s a huge moment for United States and its newest space program, named Artemis, after the Ancient Greek goddess of the moon and — not coincidentally — Apollo’s twin sister. The stated goals of the program are to send the first woman and first person of color to the moon, to establish a permanent base on the lunar surface, and to build toward future missions to Mars.
ä See ROCKET, page 2G
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NASA
Amanda Gertjejansen stands in front of the Artemis rocket as it is rolled out of NASA’s Michoud facility.
ä See AT RANDOM, page 2G
Was N.O. the first American city to have an opera house? This image, originally published in 1872 in Appleton’s Journal, shows New Orleans’ old French Opera House. Built in 1859, it stood out among its French Quarter neighbors as a particularly elegant, imposing and modern structure. PROVIDED PHOTO
BY RACHEL MIPRO
Contributing writer
New Orleans, always known for a vibrant music scene, was the first to usher in the dramatic art form of opera to an appreciative young nation. One reader’s question: Was New Orleans the first American city to have an opera house? Philadelphia is commonly credited with the oldest existing opera house in the United States — the Academy of Music opened in 1857 and is still operating today. However, OperaCréole founder and Artistic Director Givonna Joseph turned to the longdestroyed Théâtre d’Orléans to credit New Orleans with the first opera house in the U.S.
back in 1815. Joseph, whose organization is dedicated to uplifting and reviving Black opera traditions in New Orleans, discussed the popularity of the music in New Orleans. “Opera in New Orleans was like pop music,” she said. “It was for everybody.” The earliest documentation of a New Orleans opera performance was in 1796, the opera “Sylvain,” by Andre Gretry. Joseph and other researchers believe opera was almost certainly performed earlier, based on other correspondence and research from the time period. She credits New Orleans with popularizing the art form.
ä See CURIOUS, page 2G