Issuu

MEET

FIVE CREATORS AND MAKERS

BLAZING

THE TRAIL IN ACADIANA

CAMP LIFE ON BOSTON BAYOU ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY BOAT, THIS COMMUNITY OFFERS A PEACEFUL OASIS IN THE VERMILION MARSHES

MAKERS

and

Exchange

an organization dedicated to facilitating lasting connections between Acadian artists around the world

ROZ LECOMPTE is an artist, poet, founder

creative director of Franco Fine Art

in Lafayette,

CAMP LIFE ON BOSTON

BAYOU

Only accessible by boat, this community o ers a peaceful oasis in the Vermilion marshes

TOP LAWYERS

A list of Acadiana’s top lawyers and specialities

28 MEET THE MAKERS

CREATIVE TRAILBLAZERS IN ACADIANA

SPRING FLING COCKTAIL RECIPE

NOTE DE L’EDITEUR Camp life is the best life

NOUVELLES DE VILLES Happenings around the region

22 ÉTAT CULTUREL From Horse Farm to Nonpro t Park Conservancy

24 LA MAISON

Amy Thomasson turned to a designer she had long admired and followed on social media to transform her Krotz Springs home into a bright Instagram-worthy refuge for loved ones

56 DU CHEF

Lynn Jenkins, co-owner of Taco Sisters in Lafayette, nds inspiration in the good, bad and crazy of restaurants and life

64 EN FRANÇAIS, S’IL VOUS PLAÎTComment notre français a bâti un lexique moderne

EDITORIAL

Editor Reine Dugas

Art Director Sarah E.G. Majeste

Copy Editor Liz Clearman

Web Editor Kelly Massicot

Digital Editor Alyssa Schia!no

Contributors Erin Z. Bass, Lisa Leblanc-Berry, Cheré Coen, Eric Cormier, Colby LeJeune, H. Michelle Kreamer, Danley Romero, Haylei Smith, Melanie Warner Spencer, Eugenia Uhl, Joseph Vidrine, Sara Willia

SALES

Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor

337-298-''2'

337-23(-79)9 Ext. 7230

Rebecca@AcadianaPro le.com

RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING

PRODUCTION

Digital Director Rosa Balaguer Arostegui

Senior Production Designer

Ashley Bravata

Production Designer Czarlyn Ria Trinidad

MARKETING

Marketing Manager Haley Nash

Camp life is the best life

FOR AS MUCH as many of us might moan and groan about how hot and humid the summers can get here in Louisiana, we sure end up outside a lot. Not necessarily like folks in other places. We aren’t hiking or hanging out at the beach — because we don’t have much of that here. No, we have gotten much more creative about our outdoor activities. One way is by having a host of really fun festivals throughout the year. The springtime festivals are especially nice since we’ve just come out of holiday and Mardi Gras madness. The weather generally becomes more temperate, and we are itching to get outside and do something.

For many people, the festival circuit can keep their social calendars full and their days fun. The Festival International de Louisiane

in Lafayette is one of the larger spring festivals. Bringing in upward of 300,000 visitors to explore the food, music, crafts and culture on display, this festival has a little bit of everything. If you love crawﬁsh, the Breaux Bridge Crawﬁsh Festival is a must-do. There are other great festivals peppered throughout the region and April and May are the ideal months to catch them.

As we move into summer, many escape their homes or cities to relax and spend time at a camp. Camp life in Louisiana looks a little different than camps in other places, and in this issue Cheré Coen checks out what camp life is all about. For many people, going to camps during their childhood holds special memories of fishing, waterskiing, riding in boats or sitting out by the ﬁre. My family used to go spend time at our camp in Breaux Bridge, and I can still remember how excited we all were to take o! on a Friday afternoon for a weekend of fun. A camp makes you feel like you’re far away when really, you might only be a couple hours’ drive. It’s a whole di!erent world, though, and makes the hot summer months bearable.

So whether you're hitting some festivals or chilling at a camp this spring and summer, let the good times roll!

Cheers!

What I'm Loving

A FEW OF THE BEST THINGS THIS MONTH

WHAT TO DO

Go to a festival. Any festival. As many as you can. The Breaux Bridge Craw"sh Festival is a favorite. Spend the day enjoying music and eating craw"sh every way you can imagine.

WHAT TO WATCH

“The O ce.” I’m watching reruns of reruns. This is a show that I’ll never get tired of and keep "nding little jokes I missed the 20 times I already watched an episode. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it "ASAP as possible."

WHAT TO READ

“The Antidote” by Karen Russell. It’s a challenging book with multiple points of view and timelines, but it’s beautifully written and the characters, poignantly wrought. I enjoyed the unusual time and place in which the story was set.

Newly Notable

Insomnia Cookies, known for its late-night service (until 1 a.m.) and made-to-order cookies, is opening downtown in the former DBR space. A new dog-friendly 12,000-squarefoot indoor-outdoor beer garden or “ice house” venue is underway in Lafayette’s expanding Bluebird Drive corridor featuring oak-shaded seating and food trucks. A new rooftop bar, restaurant and pickleball entertainment complex, Smash, is underway at the former Lafayette Health Club property (closed for over 15 years) on Kaliste Saloom.

AGENDA

APRIL 3 - 5

Louisiana Lao New Year Festival

The colorful celebration features traditional dance, temple ceremonies, authentic food and cultural performances in New Iberia.

APRIL 9 - 11

Louisiana Railroad Days

All aboard to DeQuincy for parades, pageants, games, scavenger hunts and music at the historic DeQuincy Railroad Museum Park.

APRIL 1& - 12

Books Along the Teche Literary Festival

ARNAUDVILLE New at Nunu

Café Nunu recently opened at Nunu Arts and Collective in Arnaudville, the charming town situated on the border of St. Landry and St. Martin parishes that inspires Francophone creatives. The menu includes Rêve Co ee, regional daily specials, soups, sandwiches and nostalgic baked goods (classic jambo pressé elevated with "g con"ture, squash cake and gâteau au thé sec).

The )0th annual literary fest features Southern authors, workshops, a book fair, tours and culinary events.

APRIL 1& - 12

Scott Boudin Festival

Acadiana’s top boudin purveyors with local bands, arts and cra,ts, Cajun and zydeco dance contests (with prizes) and a boudin eating contest.

APRIL 13 - 16

Balfa Week

The Cajun and Creole Music and Culture Camp in Eunice features ve days of music lessons, jams and workshops led by masters.

APRIL 18

2nd Annual Bourbon & Butts Cook-O

A sizzling day of barbecue feasting and cook-o-s as local chefs battle it out for the “Pork Butt Champion” title at Houma’s Courthouse Square.

APRIL 22 - 26

Festival International de Louisiane

The free celebration is the largest Francophone music and arts festival in the U.S., transforming downtown Lafayette into a global cultural stage with international talent and regional headliners.

LAFAYETTE

The Road to Jennings

Like many of Louisiana’s southwest cities, Jennings sprouted as a railroad depot in the late 1800s, later buoyed by oil exploration and agriculture. Today, the town o Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Lake Charles attracts visitors for its crawﬁsh tours, museums, local restaurants serving up Louisiana dishes and the popular Gator Chateau where folks can view gators up close and personal.

MUSEUMS

Local, national and international art, from folk to 20th century paintings, was collected by Ruth and Fred Zigler of Jennings. Today, visitors may view these pieces housed inside

Jennings City Hall as the Zigler Art Museum, plus enjoy classes and special events throughout the year. For something unique, that children will adore, the W.H. Tupper General Merchandise Museum is lled with early 20th

Pet a Gator

How many of us have seen an alligator in the wild or a zoo but know so little about the ancient reptiles? At Gator Chateau at exit 64 o I-1' at Jennings, gator experts explain one of Louisiana’s most fascinating creatures, let visitors watch a feeding and even let you hold a baby alligator and pose for photos. Gator Chateau is located next to the Je Davis Parish Visitor Center so it’s a great launching o spot for exploring the town and parish and the I-1' Park provides a great place for kids to burn o energy.

century items from the former Tupper General Store. The museum also includes the Louisiana Telephone Pioneer Museum featuring old equipment, tools and telephones.

DINING

Jennings is surrounded by craw sh ponds and it’s only a short drive to Lake Arthur and the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge and acres of marshes and wetlands. This time of year, it’s easy to nd boiled craw sh, not to mention a variety of craw sh dishes, hot boudin, cracklins and tasty gumbo. Feeling spirited? Drive over to Lacassine and tour Bayou Rum Distillery, then taste the many rums derived from Louisiana sugar cane.

PHOTO COURTESY

Moncus Park:

Then and Now

FROM HORSE FARM TO NONPROFIT PARK CONSERVANCY

THERE’S NO DENYING the impact that Moncus Park has had on the Lafayette community since it o cially opened on January 1, 2022. In just over four years, the park has become a Lafayette staple. From Movies at Moncus, to the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market every Saturday, yoga and Pilates classes, nature walks and Christmas in the Park, Moncus Park has become a major hub of outdoor activity in the center of Lafayette.

However, before it was Moncus Park, it was a horse farm owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In fall 2005, local media reported that the university had plans to swap this land for four acres near Girard Park. This is when UL Lafayette senior, Elizabeth “EB” Brooks, and others in her community-based planning course decided they would “do everything they could to save the horse farm.” What started as a class project fueled by passionate students and supported by their professor, Dr. Griff Blakewood, soon became a local movement. With this, the “Save the Horse Farm” campaign was underway. The early days of the initiative included making signs and bumper stickers and creating a website that included sample letters people could send opposing the land swap. EB

credits social media, explaining using this as a campaign tool when social media was relatively new was a game changer, allowing them to have an immediate, large-scale reach. For the next several years, community members gathered at weekly meetings keeping the issue at the forefront of people’s minds. Support from key individuals, such as then-mayor, Joey Durel, and local media outlets was also instrumental in getting the city’s approval to buy the land from the university. Once the land was o cially secured in 2012, years of planning and fundraising would still be necessary; however, this did not deter EB or others who were passionate about this work.

Today, Moncus Park is the only nonproﬁt park conservancy in Southwest Louisiana, making it a unique space explained Executive Director JP MacFadyen. This means the team at Moncus Park is responsible for all aspects of the park from safety and cleanliness to park amenities and programming. Since its opening, the park has increased property values in the area, brought in other businesses, and helped to attract and retain local talent, exemplifying the park’s mission to “cultivate connections that enrich lives and strengthen community through nature.”

EB, who served as executive director prior to MacFadyen, is proud that the park exempliﬁes the “values of sustainability, community engagement, [and] inclusivity,” making it a park for everybody.

Planning your next trip to Moncus?

WHILE YOU’RE THERE, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR:

The new Farmers Market Pavilion, which will add more space and allow for vendors both inside and outside.

The largest public collection of irises in the state, including ve species native to Louisiana, which is in bloom right now at the park.

The Kergan Family Meditation Garden, located in the back ve acres of the park, which is a formal garden of mostly native plants that will be complete in spring 2026.

Welcome Home

AMY THOMASSON TURNED TO A DESIGNER SHE HAD LONG ADMIRED AND FOLLOWED ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO TRANSFORM HER KROTZ SPRINGS HOME INTO A BRIGHT INSTAGRAMWORTHY REFUGE FOR LOVED ONES

AT HER HOME on the family property in Krotz Springs, Amy Thomasson has an open-door policy. Cultivating a welcoming atmosphere and inviting everyone in know only about loving to entertain family and friends (she does), but also about a legacy handed down from her mother. Thomasson describes her home as the hub for family gatherings, a tradition she cherishes.

Amy Thomasson's home was built in Krotz Spring in (''(. When she was ready for a refresh, she called Sara Vincent of Sara Vincent Designs, whom she had been following on Instagram for years a)ter a friend worked with the designer. “I loved her work so much,” says Thomasson, who initially only planned for a living room refresh. “She eventually did my whole house.”

“I have all the family gatherings at my house,” says Thomasson. “We’ve had Christmas in the country for 25 years. We do the big crawﬁsh in the country in April, Good Friday every year.”

These traditions run deep, echoing a sentiment shared by her late mother.

“My mom was on hospice, [and] I said, ‘What do you want me to do, Mom?’ And she said, ‘You just keep having parties, baby’,” says Thomasson. “‘Keeping the family together.’”

In 2002, Thomasson worked with Lisha's Design Service in Baton Rouge on the design. Leger's Home Builders from Opelousas was the builder. When it was time for a refresh, Thomasson contacted Sara Vincent of Sara Vincent Designs. This redecoration, completed in October 2025, elevated the space from country farmhouse cozy to clean, airy sophistication.

Having admired Vincent’s work after a friend worked with the designer, Thomasson began following her on Instagram.

“I loved her work so much,” says Thomasson, who initially only planned for a living room refresh. “I got her to do the next room and then the next room and then the bathroom and then — she eventually did my whole house.”

Thomasson’s vision for the refresh was clear. Bright, airy, crisp and clean with

a lot of white. The result exceeded her expectations. Originally built as a family haven, Thomasson raised her three children in the home, always welcoming their friends into the fold. These days, it’s not unusual for her kids, their kids and both generations’ friends to pop in.

During the home’s initial construction, there were serveral non-negotiable design elements including expansive windows across the back, o!ering views of the family farm, and an open floor plan.

“I wanted windows across the whole back of my house from the kitchen, the living room,” says Thomasson. “I wanted to be able to look out in the back [and see views] of the farm. My front door was non-negotiable and my front porch was non-negotiable.”

The home features ﬁve bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, including a mud room and a sentimental “blue room” showcasing her daughter’s christening gown. Meaningful furniture pieces include a French trumeau mirror from Thomasson’s mother, her grandmother’s chairs and her grandfather’s armoire. Vincent’s redecoration included reupholstering many pieces, a testament to her talent and Amy Thomasson’s trust.

Travel, a significant hobby for Thomasson, who also works part-time for Amer-

ican Airlines, inﬂuences her décor with meaningful items collected from around the world. Her collection includes coins from her travels with her sister, Florentine pieces from Italy and plates from various destinations. Recent trips include jaunts to France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. One room in particular is an homage to traversing the world.

“Upstairs is the grandkids’ room, and a mural of a world map,” says Thomasson,

who calls the room the ﬁrst-class cabin with decor including hot air balloons and airplanes. The room also features bunk beds and a slide for “emergencies,” mimicking an airplane evacuation.

Over time, the collaboration with Vincent extended beyond design services and now the door is open to Vincent, too.

“My family was like, ‘Who becomes good friends with their interior decorator?’” says Thomasson. “But, you know,

me. She is a joy and has become a dear friend to my whole family.”

Thomasson describes the change in her home over the nine-month design process as an antidepressant, saying, “It’s the best feeling in the world to walk into a beautiful home.”

Vincent showcased sentimental items, such as Thomasson's daughter's christening gown and plates collected during travels with her sister; and found a home for a French trumeau mirror from Thomasson’s mother, her grandmother’s chairs and her grandfather’s armoire.

MEET

THE

FIVE CREATORS AND MAKERS BLAZING THE TRAIL IN ACADIANA

MAKERS

FRITZ ESKER PHOTOS BY ROMERO & ROMERO

Daniel Barousse was five years into working what he thought was his dream job. An avid skateboarder, he was working as a sales rep for a major skateboard brand. It was 2015 and he was sitting on a curb with a friend in Austin, Texas. While chatting with his friend, he realized there were still many days when he just did not want to go to work.

Fast forward to 2018, and Barousse’s employer laid him off. He was quickly offered a similar job with another skateboard company, but he said the prospect of the job “didn’t set my soul on ﬁre.”

Barousse decided to ride his bike from Denver to Austin to clear his head. While riding, he asked himself “What would my day look like if I was a billionaire?” The answer he came up with included skateboarding, riding his bike and making stu! for his family out of wood. All of the men in his family had done woodworking. His grandfather had been a master carpenter.

Years earlier, Barousse had seen the work

DANIEL BAROUSSE

of the Japanese artist Haroshi, who created a sculpture out of recycled skateboards. So, Barousse had the idea to also make sculptures and furniture out of recycled skateboards.

“I realized the only way you don’t have days where you do not want to come to work is if you’re the creator,” Barousse said.

Working with his friend Grayson out of a garage in Denver, Barousse made his ﬁrst table out of recycled skateboards. But seven months later, he met a Louisiana girl and decided to return home to Lafayette to pursue that relationship. He converted his father’s old storage shed into a wood shop.

Over the years, Barousse has completed a variety of projects, including a skateboard sculpture of Joe Cool. He also made a lounge chair for (and got to meet) action star Jason Momoa. He made the world’s largest skateboard rack out of recycled skateboards, and it is still on display at Relief Skate Supply in Panama City, Florida.

Being from Acadiana has been a positive inﬂuence on Barousse in ways both personal and professional. He has traveled around the

globe to spots including Costa Rica, Japan, Thailand, Spain and France but feels the hospitality in Acadiana is unlike any other place in the world. But it has also influenced his art.

“There’s a speciﬁc DIY culture in south Louisiana that I feel doesn’t exist in other parts of the country,” Barousse said.”

When he is not making skateboards, the 36-year-old Barousse uses his semi-pro cycling skills for fundraisers to donate free skateboards to children on the Gulf Coast. He has provided over $100,000 in skateboards with his work. Each giveaway also includes hands-on instruction from expert skateboarders so the children can learn how to skateboard properly.

Through it all, Barousse is passionate about both his professional and charitable work and optimistic about the future.

“I can’t wait to see where we end up 20 years in the future,” Barousse said. “I’ve gotten to a pretty cool place.”

BAROUSSE

ROZALYN LECOMPTE

Roz LeCompte is a renaissance woman with multiple talents and passions is in her blood.

LeCompte is a self-taught artist. She paints, sculpts, writes poems and even created a successful drum accessory brand. Her passion for art began as a child. She grew up in a crowded household with four younger sisters, and painting served as an escape from the constant motion all around her. It still functions as a refuge for her.

“Creating is the way I have brought play into my adulthood. I am constantly making. Constantly experimenting. Always searching for what feels most authentic in that moment. I don’t make for anyone but myself. It’s how I tune out the chaos of the world. I guess it’s a coping mechanism,” LeCompte said.

When the 47-year-old LeCompte was in high school, she would go to the mall with

her friends. But she would be frustrated that she could not afford some of the jewelry she wanted. So she decided to make her own.

“I was always making what I wanted,” LeCompte said.

LeCompte recently worked for ten years with a company she founded, Secondline Jewels. A live music bu!, LeCompte made earrings, necklaces, cuffs and rings from upcycled drum cymbals.

LeCompte also upcycles items from her own household. When the elastic on her daughter’s flowered fitted sheet got too stretched out, LeCompte cut strips from the sheet and wove them in with other fabrics to create sculptures of swamp lotuses that hung from a ceiling.

Another creative upcycling moment for LeCompte came when she discovered an old seesaw by the side of the road. She covered the seats in velvet and painted ﬂags from hemp canvas. This piece became a part of the Cur Non exhibition celebrating the legacy of the Marquis de Lafayette.

LECOMPTE

In 2024, LeCompte expanded her art repertoire to include a deck of cards inspired by Parisian Marie Lenormand’s 14th century illustrated tarot deck. While LeCompte was mourning the death of her friend, the artist Dege Legg, she created the Rêverie Oracle Deck. Each card featured images from her work.

Currently, LeCompte devotins her attention to the Franco Fine Arts Exchange in Lafayette, an organization she founded last year and where she serves as the creative director. The organization is dedicated to facilitating lasting connections between Acadian artists around the world. These connections will take forms like penpal correspondences between artists, transcontinental collaborations, group exhibitions and immersive residencies.

Acadian culture is something LeCompte is intensely proud of. She did not learn of her own Acadian heritage until her grandmother passed away in 2017.

“My family survived deportation. They were warriors,” LeCompte said. “I feel like I was supposed to be born here.”

rozlecompte.com

@rozlecompte

AND PAT

Seventy-eight-year-old Pat Juneau loved making stu ! even when he was a little boy in Alexandria. His father had grown up poor and made things because he had to. When Pat was only ﬁve years old, he built his own toy boats to play with. Decades later, Pat is a master craftsman who creates bright folk art sculptures and furniture with his son Andre in their studio in Scott, Louisiana.

For the 44-year-old Andre, the love of art and creation also extends back to childhood. He was going to art shows with his dad since he was only six weeks old. He worked in 3D printing and IT, but kept getting drawn back to art and decided to join his father and pursue it full-time.

Pat has been a full-time artist for over 50 years. He and Andre build a variety of commissions for clients, including furniture like benches and thrones (yes, thrones). They create art with a Cajun flair, like painted sculptures of buckets of crabs. Other artworks prominently feature alligators and crawﬁsh.

JUNEAU METALWORKS

psjuneau.com

@juneaumetalworks

“We lean really heavily into Acadiana stu!,” Andre said.

Their art is on sale in multiple galleries in both Lafayette and New Orleans as well as a couple across the Gulf South. They also travel to art shows and festivals throughout the year. Pat has been selling his art at Jazz Fest since 1975.

Pat and Andre primarily work in aluminum. They used to work in steel, but they had practical reasons for switching to aluminum.

“Aluminum doesn’t rust,” Pat said. “When you live in southern Louisiana, things tend to rust … Aluminum is also lighter. People

can carry it out of an art show instead of having to get it delivered.”

Both father and son believe that adaptability and ﬂexibility is an important part of creativity.

“Sometimes you think you have a good idea but it ends up not being as good as you thought it would be,” Pat said.

“Patience is necessary,” Andre added.

A love of art and creation is not just limited to the men in the Juneau family. Suzanne and Angelique Juneau (Suzanne is the mother of the family, Angelique is the daughter) create artisanal jewelry out of the family workshop in Scott. Suzanne is a founding member of the Louisiana Crafts Guild. Angelique also teaches art in Broussard.

Andre is now the president of the Louisiana Crafts Guild. The guild promotes art in a variety of ways, from galleries in Lafayette and New Orleans (Sans Souci and La Guild, respectively) to the Louisiana Crafts Fair at Festival Acadiens. He also helps organize the studio tour in March, which allows locals to visit artists in their studios and workshops to see how art gets made. Andre fondly remembers one visit from a machinist father and a college-aged art student daughter. The father was openly skeptical of his daughter’s ability to earn a living with her art and wanted her to pursue other options. But three hours later, he was enthusiastic about his daughter’s ambitions.

“By the time he left, he was talking about coming back,” Andre said.

ANDRE JUNEAU

KELLY GUIDRY

kellyguidry.com

@KellyGuidryArt

Kelly Guidry has been drawing and doodling for as long as he can remember. He grew up in Lafayette’s north end surrounded by creative people. His grandfather did metal castings, and his mother was a seamstress who worked on Mardi Gras gowns. When he went to the University of Louisiana, he majored in advertising design. But when he took a sculpture class there in 1991, he was hooked.

“I just loved it,” Guidry said.

After graduating from the University of Louisiana, he would work in advertising while making his sculptures in his free time. In 2000, he decided to take the leap and quit his ad job to pursue his art full-time, using his savings to build his inventory. After selling sculptures at events like Festival International de Louisiane, he purchased a house in Breaux Bridge that has served as his studio for the ensuing 25 years. It is within walking distance of the Pink Alligator Gallery, where many of his works are on display.

KELLY GUIDRY

Guidry embraces a style he has referred to as “modern primitive.” He uses chainsaws, power tools and welding equipment to create his sculptures. His primary mediums are copper, steel and wood.

The 53-year-old Guidry’s sculptures are eclectic. He made a functional four-foot-tall nutcracker for a client. He made a life-sized blue heron to be mounted on a wall. He made an egret angel — a winged ﬁgurine with an egret head on top of it. He made insect sculptures out of solid wood and welded metal for the Lafayette Science Museum’s entomology exhibit. The sculpted insects included cicadas, mosquitoes, wasps and dragonﬂies.

“My inspiration comes from a lot of di!erent places,” Guidry said. Sometimes his commissions lead him into unexpected places. “Sometimes people ask me to do something I would not have thought to do on my own.”

Guidry said his work has evolved over the years. He said it used to be simpler, but now is more detailed. He described himself as “an attention deﬁcit-style worker.” He will start many

different projects at once, going back and forth between the works. Some pieces are private commissions, others are sculptures he is creating for his inventory and others are just for fun.

A lot of Guidry’s commissions come from clients who are from Acadiana but have moved away from the area and want to have a little piece of home with them wherever they are. As a child, Guidry did not have much interest in Cajun culture, but that changed for him as he matured. He grew to appreciate the friendly, welcoming nature of the Acadiana community.

“As I got older, little by little, I gained more respect for the culture and how unique it is,” Guidry said. “I’ve come to be very proud to represent my culture.”

When Guidry is not creating art, he spends time with his wife Robin, herself an artist who designs jewelry that is also sold at the Pink Alligator Gallery, and their nineyear-old daughter Zoe.

GUIDRY

SANDRA

Growing up in Elizabeth, Louisiana (a small town near Fort Polk), Sandra Walkin was a child who loved decorating and painting her room. But while the artistic tendencies were there from a young age, she was also drawn to the sciences and made her career as a pharmacist. But after she retired and her son and daughter moved out of the house, she found herself looking for something new and she found that by creating bowls and tables out of wood and metal.

“I think of myself as a finisher,” Walkin said. “I find cool pieces of wood and I do cool things with them.”

The birth of Walkin’s art career began while she was still a pharmacist. She wanted to live in the woods and be surrounded by trees, but her husband, a doctor who was often on-call, could not be that far away from the local hospital. But they found a solution. They bought eleven acres that had been most recently used as a golf driving range and hired a landscape architect to plant between ﬁve and six thousand trees over the span of two years.

When Hurricane Rita devastated the area in 2005, it hit many of Walkin’s trees hard. While walking her property, she started saving pieces of wood that caught her eye

either because of the shape or the grain. Eventually, she got the idea to ﬁll some of the holes and imperfections with metal.

“I love organic pieces of wood,” Walkin said. “Pieces of wood that have imperfections are the best. I ﬁnd those imperfections are an opportunity to create beauty … Every single piece of wood I collect has a story.”

As the years passed, she took classes in various forms of ﬁnishing — Venetian plasters, gilding, chemical patinas. The scientist in her was particularly fascinated by chemical patinas — forming a colorful surface layer on metal by applying chemicals like acids to accelerate or control the reaction. She likes the variety that comes with chemical patinas. Even if you use the same chemical on the same metal, she said the result will be different day to day depending on things like weather conditions, water conditions and other factors.

“It’s never boring and it’s never ever the same,” Walkin said.

WALKIN

One wooden bowl Walkin initially discovered was covered with grime. She gilded it in silver then edged it in 23 karat gold. She found a slab of walnut and turned it into a side table, inlaying the imperfections with brass then setting it on a stone base.

Currently, Walkin’s pieces are on display in the DPR Gallery in Lake Charles. Her work also appeared with a Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit at the Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center in Lake Charles.

As part of that show, Walkin asked the museum to relax its standard “do not touch” restrictions on the exhibits because she wanted people to feel the wood.

When she is not working on her art, Walkin tends to her property.

“Taking care of a forest is a full-time job,” Walkin said. “But my forest and my art go hand in hand.”

@louisiana. artisan.furniture @swalkin

SANDRA WALKIN

LIFE CAMP

ON BOSTON BAYOU

wasn’t a rich man but he and his wife owned property in Pecan Island where he fished and hunted to his heart’s content. The rustic camp lacked electricity and running water but a feast lay waiting just outside the screen door, not to mention the peace and quiet of living among nature.

“I keep telling people they were the richest people I know and they had no money,” said his grandson Todd Broussard.

Broussard’s Uncle Claude d’Augereaux had a similar idea. He built a one-room camp on Bayou Boston, a long stretch of water south of Henry in Vermilion Parish that eventually connects to the Intracoastal Canal and Vermilion Bay.

d'Augereaux’s camp without the conveniences of modern life could only be reached by boat.

“They had a nice boat and they would shrimp and they’d spend the night,” Broussard said. “There was no electricity and no water. We later had fans and a generator but no A/C when electricity came in. But as a kid, we had a blast.”

Janice Bourgeois “Boo” Macomber of Abbeville, who for years worked as a chef and cooking instructor in Lafayette and New Orleans, purchased a camp on Boston Bayou in 1995 for $1,500 with a land lease from an oil company. Built in 1985, at the time her camp was the only one on pilings with seven-foot stairs. Her neighbors were

a mix of newcomers like her and some like Broussard carrying camp life through generations.

Their commonality meant roughing things until wells could be built, facing severe weather such as hurricanes and coastal erosion and always requiring transportation over water. And yet, this small but vibrant bayou community remained steadfast in community.

“It’s a different way of life,” Macomber said.

THE BOSS-STONE

(pronounced boss-stone) Bayou camps, drive south on La. Highway 331 south of Henry and Erath and turn west on La. Highway 688 to Don’s Boat Landing. There it requires a boat to travel the bayou. Broussard lives in Youngsville and drives 30 minutes from home to Don’s, then another 15 minutes by boat to his camp that he inherited from family, about seven miles south down the bayou.

“In 45 minutes, I can be at my camp,” he said.

Macomber takes longer, she says with a laugh, because she drives her boat slowly. “On a typical day, I load up the ice chest, go slow through the bayou. I usually go about 5 miles per hour. It’s a totally different deal.”

The name sounds Cajun but the spelling suggests a Northern origin. Since Macomber leases her land from an oil company, she suspected a corporation named the waterway. Warren A. Perrin, a Lafayette attorney and native of Henry whose family owns land on the bayou, has another explanation.

“My great grandfather Aristide Broussard had a nightclub nearby and the most popular bourbon was Boston Bourbon so the area and bayou took the name,” said Perrin, author of the history book “Vermilion Parish.” “Men on horseback would say in French ‘Let’s go get a Boston,’ so it was Franglais!”

Broussard, a Lafayette native, wonders if the bayou’s Cajun residents hail back further than his grandparents and if its history is more complex.

“I remember the old people talking about a resort at the mouth of the Boston Canal similar to the one at Chenier au Tigre,” he said of the summer resort built in 1913, adding that his grandmother was born at Chenier au Tigre. “That story is lost in history.”

One thing Broussard remembers as a child was cattle running freely throughout the area, owned by a large landowner near the bayou. His family would mostly visit in winter to forgo the heat of summer since they had no air conditioning.

“As a kid, we played,” he remembered. “Our parents drank beer, cooked. We had fun. As I got older I hunted, ﬁshed, cast netted. My favorite thing to do is cast net for shrimp.”

Weather was always an issue to the rustic camps that could easily be damaged in hurricanes and violent thunderstorms. Before Hurricane Rita in

Boston Bayou began as a small winding bayou that began near the Henry Hub plant, a distribution hub for a natural gas pipeline, and emptied at Vermilion Bay, Perrin said.

“About 1957 it was dredged and sort of straightened out and therefore became a canal because it was used by the trappers to reach the marsh,” he said.

There was always a boat dock on Boston Bayou, Perrin insisted. Through the years the company changed ownership but always name the dock after owners: Whitney Peltier’s Landing and Roy’s Boat Landing. Today, Don’s Boat Landing is named for Donald Ray Dugas who bought it about 1960. Dugas has since passed away but Don’s Boat Landing serves as a marina, bar and deli for its bayou customers, also offering boat launching, fuel and supplies.

“It’s known for its lively Cajun atmosphere, with features like live music, a spacious patio and a menu that includes burgers, chili dogs and bloody marys, making it a spot for both boating and socializing,” Perrin said. “Don’s wife Nelies Dugas is a dear friend and the bread pudding queen. They lived above the bar/ store after Hurricane Audrey destroyed their house in 1957.”

2005, all the camps except for Macomber’s and a few others were on the ground, Broussard said.

“Everybody got wiped out but me and one other on the ground,” he said. “We had six to eight feet of water in the camp but it didn’t take it away. It’s still there. You’ve got to love it.”

“They call me the high priestess of the bayou because I only lost the stairs [in Rita],” Macomber explained. “You batter it [the camp] down and you just pray. Again, it’s another way of life.”

Repairing camps can be challenging since products must be brought in by boat, not to mention carpenters to do the work. That community mindset sometimes comes to campers’ aid.

“When I had to redo my dock, I called my friend and he said, ‘You buy the wood, I’ll bring the boat,’” Macomber explained. “He took a crew boat to camp. Afterwards, I called him up and said, ‘What do I owe you?’ and he said, ‘A six pack.’ That is why I love Louisiana.”

The peace she enjoys on her isolated camp is how her camp got its name.

“It’s peace within,” Macomber said. “I was sitting there one day and thought, ‘I’m so at peace.’ That’s why I named it Camp Peace.”

“Growing up on the Boston Bayou taught me to turn inward,” said Macomber’s daughter, Colleen Macomber. “With no media distractions, I was forced to appreciate nature, get creative and learn to enjoy the sound of silence. That way of life shaped me deeply and has undoubtedly molded me into who I am today.”

Her cousin Anthony Russo agrees, describing his trips to Macomber’s oasis in poetic terms.

“What is peace worth, what value matrix can truly be used to deﬁne its value? Take one trip down the Boston to Camp Peace and you will see that there is no monetary value that can deﬁne the level of peace it brings. The camp is aptly called peace and sure does live up to its name. The hustle and bustle of life instantly stops as soon as you check for the plug in the boat for the third time.

Today, most camps are elevated to avoid dangerous storm surge and wells have been built to provide running water. The lack of modern conveniences like electricity are a thing of the past.

“We have regular water and electricity which is huge because we’re by boat only,” Macomber said.

And maybe that’s not such a good thing. For a while, Broussard’s camp had everything but a telephone. Now that visitors come with cell phones, the peace of hearing only nature has been disturbed.

Still, Broussard goes as often as he can to enjoy the solitude that’s Bayou Boston.

“I used to go every weekend but now I go as often as I can,” he said. “It’s my second home.”

A SLICE OF PARADISE

to her camp, whether to ﬁsh from her dock or just sit on the swing and enjoy the marshes teeming with wildlife. It’s easy to spot duck, deer, alligators, otters and, unfortunately, wild pigs. Birders love the proliferation of eagles, ospreys, owls, pink spoonbills and soaring pelicans. Occasionally, butterﬂies arrive en masse.

Macomber, who was named an Acadiana Profile Best Chef in 2016, uses the opportunity to cook up fresh shrimp, crabs and fish for her guests, her favorite being shrimp and crab stew and “a lot of sauce piquant.” When her daughter visits, they always bring a sack of crawfish to boil. Occasionally she will throw store-bought items on the barbecue pit to slowly cook and enjoy later. Saturday nights, they turn on the radio — she doesn’t own a TV — and enjoy Classic Country Saturday Night on 97.3 The Dawg out of Lafayette.

“I tell my guests to do nothing, just sit down and let yourself go and feel nature,” she said. “When you’re out there, you’re glad to be there. You’re one with nature.”

Macomber believes she is the oldest member of the Bayou Boston community, earning the name “High Priestess of the Bayou.” Her 2009 cookbook and memoir, “Tastes, Tails, & Tales with The High Priestess of the Bayou,” details both recipes and stories from her time on the Boston.

The launch is always a race to clear the space but also the race to hit the pause button on time and drift down south to where time itself truly stands still.”

Perhaps like Broussard’s grandparents, this little stretch of bayou provides more than material riches.

“Camp Peace is more than a retreat, it is therapy for the soul,” Russo said.

TOP

LAWYERS

TOP LAWYERS

HE ATTORNEYS in this feature were selected by Professional Research Services (PRS), which conducted an online peer-review survey of area attorneys in Acadiana, Louisiana. Attorneys were asked to nominate fellow lawyers they deemed the best in their ﬁeld of law practice. Many votes were cast honoring excellence in all categories of law. The featured attorneys were screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through applicable boards, agencies and rating services. For additional information, visit prscom.com. Acadiana Proﬁle was not involved in the selection process.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ REGULATORY LAW

CHRIS VERRET

Chris A. Verret, Attorney at Law Lafayette 337-237-4600

ADMIRALTY & MARITIME LAW

BENNETT ANDERSON JR. Anderson Blanda & Saltzman Lafayette 337-233-3366

NICHOLAS BLANDA Anderson Blanda & Saltzman Lafayette 337-233-3366

RICHARD

BROUSSARD

Broussard, David & Moroux Lafayette 337-233-2323

BLAKE DAVID SR.

Broussard, David & Moroux Lafayette 337-233-2323

JOHN HUGHES Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1290

ROBERT KALLAM Kean Miller LLP Lafayette 337-422-3642

BRIAN LINDSEY Kean Miller LLP Lafayette 337-422-3655

ALAN MECHE Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1480

S. PERRY Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1410

CHRISTOPHER RIVIERE Riveire Law Firm Thibodaux 985-447-7440

JAMES ROY Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

RANDALL THEUNISSEN Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1240

DOUGLAS TRUXILLO Onebane Law Firm Lafayette O: 337-237-2660

JONATHAN WOODS Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

LANCE BEAL Beal & Hebert Lafayette 337-991-6263

Robert David Jr. Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions Lafayette 337-269-0904

THOMAS JUNEAU SR Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions Lafayette 337-516-0537

JAMES LOCHRIDGE JR Perry Dampf Dispute Solutions Lafayette 337-905-3128

APPELLATE PRACTICE

AMBROSE STEARNS Kean Miller LLPLafayette Lafayette 337-422-3643

BANKING AND FINANCE LAW

STEVEN DURIO Durio, McGoffn, Stagg & Guidry Lafayette 337-233-0300

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

JOSEPH “JOE” GIGLIO JR. Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2311

STEVEN LANZA Onebane Law Firm Lafayette 337-237-2660

COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS/ LLC LAW THEODORE EDWARDS IV Davidson Meaux Sonnier McElligott Fontenot Gideon & Edwards LLP Lafayette 337-237-1660

WILLIAM KAUFMAN Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-232-2606

STEVEN RAMOS Andrus, Boudreaux, Landry & Coussan, APLC

Lafayette 337-984-9480

BANKRUPTCY AND CREDITOR DEBTOR RIGHTS/ INSOLVENCY AND REORGANIZATION LAW

H. AGUILLARD Aguillard Law Eunice 337-457-9331

JOSEPH “J.P.” HEBERT Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2348

ARMISTEAD LONG Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC Lafayette 337-237-0132

CHRISTOPHER PIASECKI Davidson Meaux Sonnier McElligott Fontenot Gideon & Edwards LLP Lafayette 337-237-1660

OLIVER SCHRUMPF Schrumpf Law Firm, PLC Sulphur 337-625-9077

DAVID WAY Oliver & Way Lafayette 337-988-3500

CONSTRUCTION LAW

KAYLIN JOLIVETTE Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Lafayette 337-205-4745

EMILE JOSEPH JR. Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1310

ROBERT ROBERTSON Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1330

CORPORATE LAW

HAROLD BLOCK Block and Bouterie Thibodaux 985-447-6767

L. CHRETIEN KnezekLaw Lafayette 337-266-2233

FRANK NEUNER JR. NeunerPate Lafayette 337-272-0311

M. OGDEN JR. Fuerst, Carrier & Ogden Lake Charles 337-436-3332

PEYTON PAWLICKI Veron Bice, LLC Lake Charles 337-310-1600

CRIMINAL DEFENSE NON WHITE-COLLAR MICHAEL ANTOON Fuerst, Carrier & Ogden Lake Charles 337-436-3332

RAVEN BOXIE Doran & Cawthorne, P.L.L.C. - Lafayette Lafayette 337-453-0336

B. DOMENGEAUX Domengeaux Law Lafayette 337-761-3139

EVAN EDWARDS Edwards & Bowie Lafayette 337-237-0492

LESTER GAUTHIER Law Offces of Lester J. Gauthier Lafayette 337-264-1783

SHANE HINCH The Hinch Firm Trial Attorneys Lake Charles 337-267-8430

JORDAN PRECHT Precht Law Firm Lafayette 337-221-9204

KEVIN STOCKSTILL Stockstill Defense Firm Lafayette 337-469-5417

TOP LAWYERS

ELDER LAW

JENA KYLE

Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1690

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS LAW

JOEL BABINEAUX

Babineaux, Poché, Anthony & Slavich, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-984-2505

ENERGY LAW

GEORGE ARCENEAUX III

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2332

CHRISTOPHER BAILEY

Randazzo, Giglio & Bailey LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

BRITTAN BUSH

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2357

BRIAN CAPELL

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2368

ALEXANDRA “ALEX” GJERTSON

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2309

JOHN PHILIP

“J.P” GRAF

Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC Lafayette 337-237-0132

PATRICK GRAY

Johnson Gray McNamara, LLC Lafayette 337-412-6003

SAMUEL MASUR

Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC Lafayette 337-521-8843

KYLE POLOZOLA Kean Miller LLP Lafayette 337-422-3650

JAMIE RHYMES

Liskow & Lewis, APLC

Lafayette 337-267-2360

APRIL ROLENOGDEN

Liskow & Lewis, APLC

Lafayette 337-267-2330

AMBROSE STEARNS Kean Miller LLPLafayette Lafayette 337-422-3643

COURT VANTASSELL Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-237-2380

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

J. FUSSELL JR. Fussell & Colligan Lafayette 337-205-2636

ALEX PROCHASKA Jones Walker LLP Lafayette 337-593-7616

ELIZABETH ROCHÉ Roché Law Firm Jennings 337-246-5179

COURT VANTASSELL Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2380

FAMILY LAW

ERIN ABRAMS The Johnson Firm Lake Charles 337-427-8961

JAMES BAYARD Bayard Law, LLC Lafayette 337-252-3321

MICHAEL DOMINGUE JR. Domingue Law Firm, LLC Lafayette 337-484-1001

CLAIRE EDWARDS Claire Edwards Law Firm Lafayette 337-233-3616

EVAN EDWARDS Edwards & Bowie Lafayette 337-237-0492

BRADFORD FELDER VeazeyFelder, LLC Lafayette 337-446-2709

HELEN HARRIS Law Offce of Helen Popich Harris Lafayette 337-291-6092

BECKY HUNTER

The Johnson Firm Lake Charles 337-427-8961

BRITTANY LACOMBE Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

M. OGDEN JR. Fuerst, Carrier & Ogden Lake Charles 337-436-3332

WALTER SANCHEZ Sanchez Burke, LLC Lake Charles 337-433-4405

D. SMITH D. Smith Legal Lafayette 337-534-4020

SUZETTE SMITH Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith Lafayette 504-525-6802

D. STANFORD Hoyt and Stanford, Attorneys at Law Lafayette 337-234-1012

JOHN TILLY Keaty & Tilly, LLC Lafayette 337-347-8995

CHRIS VILLEMARETTE

Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer Lafayette 337-317-4453

HEALTH CARE LAW

HEATHER

ARRINGTON The Health Law Center | Sullivan Stolier Schulze, LLC Lafayette 337-408-6210

IMMIGRATION LAW

STEPHANIE

BUEHLER

The Scott Law Firm Lake Charles 225-400-9976

LEA DAIGLE Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

ANDRES GOMEZ Parker & Landry LLC Lafayette 337-362-1604

FLORENCIA IBANEZ Broussard, David & Moroux Lafayette 337-366-6141

INSURANCE LAW

BRENT CARRIERE

Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1470

LEA DAIGLE Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

VIC DANTIN Broussard & Dove Houma 985-868-4800

JULIE FAULK

The Dill Firm Lafayette 337-261-1408

THOMAS “TREY” HIGHTOWER III. Hightower Law Firm Lafayette 337-233-0555

MALLORY MADDOCKS

Porteous Hainkel and JohnsonThibodaux Thibodaux 985-446-8451

JOHN “JACK”

MCELLIGOTT JR. Davidson Meaux Sonnier McElligott Fontenot Gideon & Edwards LLP Lafayette 337-237-1660

JENNIFER MICHEL Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP Lafayette 337-326-5777

JARED NELSON Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith Lafayette 337-735-1760

S. PERRY Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1410

HAYDEN PRESLEY Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith Lafayette 337-735-1760

RANDALL THEUNISSEN Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1240

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW

RYAN GOUDELOCKE Goudelocke Law LLC Lafayette 337-345-1985

SARA GRASCH Jones Walker LLP Lafayette 337-593-7635

ROBERT WADDELL Jones Walker LLP Lafayette 337-593-7623

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW

JOHN BRADFORD Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. Lake Charles 337-493-7224

TROY BROUSSARD Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1370

KENNETH ST. PÉ Kenneth D. St. Pé, APLC Lafayette 337-534-4043

JAMES SUDDUTH III Sudduth & Associates, LLC Lake Charles 833-783-3884

LEGAL MALPRACTICE LAW JAMES GIBSON Gibson Law Partners, LLC Lafayette 337-508-1089

MASS TORT LITIGATION/CLASS ACTIONS

RICHARD BREAUX Stark & Breaux Law Firm Houma 985-856-2059

DIGGER EARLES Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Lafayette 337-284-9395

KRISTIE HIGHTOWER Lundy LLP Lake Charles 337-439-0707

JOHN “JACK” MCELLIGOTT JR. Davidson Meaux Sonnier McElligott Fontenot Gideon & Edwards LLP Lafayette 337-237-1660

ROSS RUBION Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

TOP LAWYERS

GARY RUSSO

Gary Russo, APLC Lafayette 337-278-1055

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW

AARON ALLEN

Law Offces of Matt & Allen Lafayette 337-237-1000

JACKSON BROWN

The Townsley Law Firm Lake Charles 337-301-8536

R. CHRISTIAN

Nelson & Hammons, Attorneys At Law Lafayette 318-408-4609

KENNETH DEJEAN

The Law Offces of Kenneth W. DeJean Lafayette 337-235-5294

TYLER FREDERICK

Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers Lafayette 337-472-7678

BENJAMIN

GUILBEAU JR.

Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. Lake Charles 337-493-7292

WHITNEY IKERD

Webre & Associates Lafayette 337-237-5051

SCOTT WEBRE Webre & Associates Lafayette 337-237-5051

NATURAL RESOURCES LAW

TURNER BRUMBY Veron Bice, LLC Lake Charles 337-202-2922

BOB DUPLANTIS

Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC Lafayette 337-237-0132

GREGORY DUPLANTIS

Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC Lafayette 337-237-0132

MICHAEL ISHEE

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2306

CALEB MADERE

Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2326

APRIL ROLENOGDEN Liskow & Lewis, APLC Lafayette 337-267-2330

STUART SIMONEAUD

Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-232-2606

OIL AND GAS LAW

CHRIS PEYTON Kean Miller LLP Lafayette 337-422-3668

MATTHEW “MATT” RANDAZZO III Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

STUART SIMONEAUD Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. Lafayette O: 337-232-2606

PERSONAL INJURY

JESSICA CLEMENT KnezekLaw Lafayette 337-266-2233

JACOB HARGETT Welborn & Hargett, Injury Attorneys Lafayette 337-234-5533

DERRIEL MCCORVEY McCorvey Law, LLC Lafayette 337-291-2431

JACK MILLER

Miller, Mitchell & Luquette, Ltd. Crowley 337-788-0768

ANDREW

QUACKENBOS

Domengeaux

Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

ROSS ROUBION

Domengeaux

Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

MICHAEL

SCHWARTZBERG The Roach Law Firm Lake Charles 337-433-8504

CHRIS

VILLEMARETTE

Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer Lafayette 337-317-4453

PERSONAL INJURY LITIGATION

WILLIAM ABEL Abel Law Firm, LLC Thibodaux 985-378-8919

NICHOLAS BLANDA Anderson Blanda & Saltzman Lafayette 337-233-3366

EMILY BORGEN Broussard, David & Moroux Lafayette 337-233-2323

ROBERT BRAHAN Broussard, David & Moroux Lafayette 337-233-2323

BRIAN COLOMB Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys Lafayette 337-443-6954

DUSTIN GIBSON Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

REED KREGER ELLIS Broussard, David & Moroux

Lafayette 337-233-2323

MATTHEW LUNDY Lundy LLP

Lake Charles 337-439-0707

JEROME MOROUX Broussard, David & Moroux

Lafayette 337-233-2323

TUCKER NIMS

Gordon McKernan Injury AttorneysLafayette Lafayette 337-735-8009

JAMES ROY Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

JOHN ROY Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

KEITH SALTZMAN Anderson Blanda & Saltzman Lafayette 337-233-3366

ELWOOD STEVENS JR. Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

RAILROAD LAW

DANIELLE BOUDREAUX KnezekLaw Lafayette 337-266-2233

ELENA KNEZEK Knezek Law Lafayette 337-266-2233

REAL ESTATE LAW

PHILIP BOUDREAUX Andrus, Boudreaux, Landry & Coussan APLC

Lafayette 337-984-9480 ext.3010

JULIE CHAUVIN Liskow & Lewis, APLC

Lafayette 337-267-2307

JEAN-PAUL COUSSAN Andrus, Boudreaux, Landry & Coussan APLC

Lafayette 337-984-9480 ext.3004

JOAN WALLACE Turnkey Title Lafayette 337-326-4830

TAX LAW

TED HOYT

Hoyt and Stanford, Attorneys at Law Lafayette 337-234-1012

ROBERT ROWE

Robert E. Rowe, Attorney at Law Lafayette 337-266-9626

ANGELA SMITH Bryson Bryson Law Firm, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-233-4210

RUSSELL “RUSTY” STUTES JR. Stutes & Lavergne Law Firm Lake Charles 337-433-0022

CHRIS VERRET

Chris A. Verret, Attorney at Law Lafayette 337-237-4600

H. WHITE LLL Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. Lake Charles 337-493-7294

TRUSTS AND ESTATES

SHELLEY BOUILLION Stutes & Lavergne, LLC Lake Charles 337-433-0022

DANIEL FINCH Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

JENA KYLE Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1690

JOSEPH PLACER JR. Placer Law Firm, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-237-2530

DAVID SIGLER Sigler, Arabie & Cannon Attorneys at Law LLC Lake Charles 337-439-2033

WILLIAM STUBBS JR. Stubbs & Hightower, L.L.C. Lafayette 337-233-9755

WORKERS COMPENSATION LAW

CHARMAINE BORNE Randazzo, Giglio, Bailey, Finch & Woods LLC Lafayette 337-291-4900

WILLIAM CASANOVA Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Lafayette 337-284-9395 ; 337-261-2617

RÉMY JARDELL Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC Lafayette 337-291-4878

PATRICK JOHNSON Parker & Landry LLC Lafayette 337-362-1602

Corey Meaux Parker & Landry LLC Lafayette 337-362-1603

MICHAEL PARKER Parker & Landry LLC Lafayette 337-362-1601

ERIC WALTNER Allen & Gooch, A Law Corporation Lafayette 337-291-1400

If you don’t have a juicer, blend everything with 1⁄2 cup of cold water and strain through a "ne mesh strainer.

Beautiful Chaos

LYNN JENKINS, CO-OWNER OF TACO SISTERS IN LAFAYETTE, FINDS INSPIRATION IN THE GOOD, BAD AND CRAZY OF RESTAURANTS AND LIFE

FOR LYNN JENKINS, co-owner and creative director of Taco Sisters in Lafayette, food has always been a love language. Her early influences were Martha Stewart, whose culinary and homemaking creativity felt “both elevated and attainable,” and later, Julia Child and Ina Garten. ¶ “It was over for me,” says Jenkins. “I was hooked: the craft, the flavors, the fun of feeding people. All of it.”

MEET THE COOK

LYNN JENKINS

HOMETOWN: Happily planted in Lafayette • ITEM IN MY KITCHEN: My grandmother’s co ee mugs. Holding them takes me right back to her porch in Cotopaxi, Colorado. • MUSIC TO COOK TO: Anything soulful, funky or a little nostalgic — Al Green, Talking Heads, Maggie Rogers, Khruangbin, Fleetwood Mac — plus a healthy dose of ‘90s and early 2000s millennial pop-punk, and even some Mastodon and sludgy metal in there for good measure.

Taco Sisters, which opened in 2009, started as a small drive-thru stand with a dream and a smoker, growing alongside the downtown Lafayette community. Jenkins’ partner and “taco sister” is Claire Zimmer and, in true family business fashion, the general manager is Jenkins’ husband John Jenkins.

Born in San Clemente, California, Lynn Jenkins remembers a childhood of frequent moves as a military kid “before landing in Louisiana around middle school.” Louisiana became the place “where we finally put down roots.” Her curiosity is the stuff of family lore. “There’s a story about me bending down to smell a flower as soon as I could walk and somehow turning that into my first big injury,” says Jenkins. “I needed stitches at 18 months old. A very on-brand introduction to beauty and chaos, and I guess I never stopped chasing flowers after that.”

Her high school home economics teacher, Mrs. Janice, further solidiﬁed Jenkins’ path.

“She ran her classroom like a kitchen: honest, warm and with very high standards.” Mrs. Janice’s no-nonsense advice, “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean,” became a mantra Jenkins carried into her restaurant life.

Today, her family grounds her, but Jenkins’ wellspring of inspiration remains “shared human experiences. The good meals, the joyful tables full of friends, the hard seasons, the late creative nights, the celebrations and everything.”

GOLDEN GLOW JUICE

Turmeric stains (worth it) so use a cutting board you don’t mind getting a little sunshine on. We especially love the turmeric from L4S Farms, who pop up at the Lafayette Farmers Market every Saturday morning.

SERVES: 1 ( 12 OZ)

PREP TIME: 10 MINS DIFFICULTY: EASY

4 medium carrots, scrubbed

2 oranges, peeled

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

1⁄2 inch fresh turmeric root

' Prep the produce: Scrub the carrots, peel the oranges, trim the ginger and turmeric.

Juice: Run carrots, oranges, ginger and turmeric through a juicer. Feel free to add a squeeze of lemon if you like a little extra brightness.

3 Serve: Pour into a glass or over ice. Enjoy!

SIPPER

Spring Fling Cocktail Recipe

SHUCKS PAIRS BREEZY BAYOU VIEWS WITH A FRUIT-FORWARD COCKTAIL THAT CAPTURES THE EASY-GOING SPIRIT OF SPRING IN LAKE CHARLES

NOW CELEBRATING its first anniversary, the long-awaited Shucks Louisiana Seafood House in Lake Charles emulates the spirit of the original Shucks in Abbeville. Opened in 1995, the iconic Abbeville landmark has been beloved for its fresh local oysters, Gulf seafood creations, friendly service and in recent years, live music on Bayou Vermilion.

“The Lake Charles location has been six years in the making,” says co-owner Bert Istre. “Thanks to a group of Lake Charles investors that put in, we opened with a crazy bang on Cinco de Mayo, which we call Shuck-o-de-Mayo on the Bayou. We hope to eventually open more locations.”

Shucks’ newer outpost is on a grander scale, offering the same convivial atmosphere and seafood with nearly double the seating capacity. Anchoring the Lake Charles expansion is a stunning 150-seat patio overlooking Contraband Bayou where sunset views, gentle breezes and live music set the stage for enticing craft cocktails.

Among the standout sippers is the aptly named Spring Fling, a cocktail that drinks like a seasonal reset. Watermelon vodka brings juicy freshness, cucumber vodka adds a crisp, garden-cool element and a swirl of strawberry puree lends a touch of sweetness. Finished by a splash of Sprite, the Spring Fling is light, e!ervescent and exactly what you want when the sun dips low and tables start ﬁlling up. It’s the kind of refreshing drink that’s easy to make and easy to love.

Watermelon brings the sweetness, cucumber keeps things cool and strawberry rounds it out in the bright, bubbly Spring Fling.

Muddle one mint leaf in a shaker tin. Add 1 oz. cucumber vodka, 1 oz. watermelon vodka and 1⁄2 oz. strawberry purée. Add ice, shake and strain into a wine glass. Add fresh ice. Top with Sprite. Garnish with a strawberry, sliced cucumber and a fresh mint sprig

Raising the Steaks

SANTA PICANHA IGNITES LAFAYETTE

LAFAYETTE CHEF AND RESTAURETEUR GUSTAVO ROSENSTENGEL has a passion that was born in southern Brazil. ¶ The pull of wood, ﬁre, smoke and meat drove him to open Santa Picanha in Lafayette’s downtown in January. ¶ The restaurant’s menu is Rosenstengel’s homage to foods he grew up cooking with family and friends in Porto Alegre, which is the capital and biggest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

“Where I am from, we have a gaucho culture. It started with cattle drivers who live a semi-nomadic lifestyle,” he said.

Gauchos are the cowboys of South America. Their chosen cooking style incorporates wood, ﬁre, salt and meat.

Rosenstengel, learned to cook from his grandmother. He eventually left Brazil for San Diego, California. There, he worked in a Brazilian restaurant.

“I met a woman from Louisiana, and ended up in Lafayette,” he explained.

While in the Hub City, Roesntengel, 42, started cooking Brazilian food.

“There was no Brazilian restaurant here. I felt like my community was underrepresented. So, I started hosting friends at my house. Then I started doing pop-ups and catered events. I also started going around cooking for backyard parties. These were all moments that were very representative of the cooking moments I grew up around,” he said.

At Santa Picanha food lovers can enjoy beef croquettes served with house aioli,

garlic bread and provolone cheese with tomato conﬁt and crostini.

Those dishes are the type served during a traditional churrasco. They are eaten as the showstoppers are prepared.

Rosenstengel skewers top sirloin cap, sausage, chicken thighs, pork loin skirt steak and cauliflower steak on his grill. Patrons get to see and smell the hunks of meat cooking.

“I use charcoal and wood to cook. No gas. No fake smoke,” he said. Everything is cooked with attention to detail. TRY

A Brazilian-style appetizer consisting of chopped pork sausage, chicken hearts and frango (chicken), served with farofa (toasted cassava .our) and chimichurri. Black beans stewed with smoked meats and served with rice, collard greens, farofa and vinagrete. Sounds like Louisiana beans and rice? It is delicious!

SATURDAY SPECIAL: FEIJOADA

SUNDAY SPECIAL: BACON TRI-TIP

Nothing in the world is wrong about pork and beef. This dish proves that point. Bacon-wrapped tri-tip served with beans and rice. Amazing!

SANTA PICANHA 406 GARFIELD ST. LAFAYETTE 337-534-0636 SANTAPICANHA.COM @SANTAPICANHA337

PICADINHO

Rosenstengel, who speaks in a thoughtful and measured tone, adheres to a culinary philosophy that is best described by Chef Michael Pollan who said, “Cooking over a fire is one of the most stirring of those ritual acts, usually performed outdoors, on special occasions, in public and by men.”

“The response of patrons has been positive. Everyone has been loving the food and uniqueness of what it is … especially the open kitchen concept because people feel like they are participating in the cooking process,” Rosenstengel said.

He has been in Lafayette for over a decade and regards Louisiana as home.

During that time Rosenstengel has noticed similarities between Brazil and Louisiana in cooking meat with fire, along with the shared passion for food among the people.

Santa Picanha is ground central for cultural exchange with a fire and meat focus.

COLBY LEJEUNE

Le faisage et refaisage de mots

COMMENT NOTRE FRANÇAIS A BÂTI UN LEXIQUE MODERNE

POUR CEUX - LÀ DE NOUS - AUTRES dans la Louisiane qui sont assez chanceux d’être capable de passer du vrai temps dans notre français ou créole naturel au cours de notre journée typique, icitte dans le vingt-et-unième siècle notres vies professionnelles et personnelles sont positivement remplies à déborder avec des mots — des paroles comme truck, tarpoline, coal-oil et mop, pour nommer juste quelques-unes — qui sont, vulièrement et originalement, pas français, mais putôt anglais. Les langues d’héritage partout dans le monde sont plein d’emprunts avec des langues plus dominantes, et dans la Louisiane ces mots emprunts avec, dans notre cas à nous-autres, l’anglais sert principalement à remplir les trous lexiques ouverts par les avancements rapides de la technologie qu’on a vu en travers du siècle passé, à nommer les nouvelles activités et les a!aires neuves qu’a un besoin désespéré des mots pour les appeler. Dans la plupart des cas, au moment de leurs arrivées typiquement tardives dans la campagne de la Louisiane, les artefacts de ces changements technologiques et socials vient ordinairement avec des colles en anglais déjà bien attachées après, qui fait une adoption simple de ces mots anglais, au lieu de l’invention de nouveaux mots, la solution plus aisée et plus expédiente.

C’est important de noter, donc, que l’emprêtage des mots avec l’anglais est loin d’être la seule manière que notre français a suivi le balan lexique de la modernité. Une autre méthode commune repose dessus la réapplication des paroles préexistantes à les nouveaux référents en question. Comme dans le domaine de l’embarcation, là-où des

mots contemporains tels comme char, voiture, transfert et charrette faisait tout originalement référence à certaines sortes de véhicules à roues halées par des chevaux avant d’être éventuellement appliqué à des nouveaux instruments de transportation motorisée.

Une autre stratégie pour le développement des nouvelles paroles s’appuie dessus des méthodes internes bienétablies pour la dérivation de termes neufs. Pour exemple, beaucoup des outils et des articles de machinerie dans la Louisiane porte des noms qui sont basés dessus leur fonction, composés du verbe convenable plus notre su xe agentif -euse. L’habitation moderne mécanisée, notamment, est particulièrement bien gréyée avec des mots français natifs fait dans cette façon, comme

éridisseuse, raseuse, laboureuse, trancheuse, coupeuse, ramasseuse, amarreuse, emballeuse, fouleuse, porteuse, et batteuse, mais c’est pareil dans la sphere domestique: chesseuse, laveuse, encaineuse, plucheuse et a leuse sont des mots bien familiers dans beaucoup des maisons.

Finalement, le français dans la Louisiane a bien sûr dans beaucoup des cas simplement adopté les termes français internationals. Après tout, la Louisiane a tout le temps été une partie du monde francophone plus large, et c’était juste deux-trois générations passées que l’anglais s’a installé comme le source privilégié pour ces nouveaux emprêtages. Des paroles comme électricité, disque, téléphone, radio, éventail et machine sont aussi familiers à Lafayette qu’ils sont à Paris ou à Québec, qui, ensemble avec la longue liste d’exemples précédents, nous fait se rappeler que, quand on se ﬁgure avec un trou dedans notre vocabulaire français ou créole, un recours à l’anglais, c’est ultimement rarement nécessaire.