Community Calendar

JANUARY 3
•First Monday in the Atrium
The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital is pleased to present the music of Chester and Jarius Daigle on jazz piano and violin. The concert will be held on Monday, January 3 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the atrium at Memorial Hospital on Oak Park Boulevard. The performances are made possible thanks to the generous support of Gold Sponsors: Business First Bank, The Eye Clinic and Todd & Associates; and Silver Sponsor: Rau Financial Group. This event is free and open to the public. For more information on First Monday in the Atrium or The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, please call (337) 494-3226.

JANUARY 4
•Tidbits of History
Bernadette Monlezun Ponton will give a lecture titled “Monlezun Heritage Home Tour” on Jan. 4 as a part of the continuing Tidbits of History series presented by the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library. The video lecture will be from 10–11 a.m. at the Carnegie Memorial Building Meeting Room at 411 Pujo Street. For details, call (337) 721-7110.

JANUARY 6
•Mardi Gras 12th Night
The Twelfth Night celebration at the Lake Charles Civic Center begins at 7 p.m. See the grand promenade of the kings, queens, and captains of more than 50 krewes. The 2010 royal courts will wave goodbye to all in preparation for the 2011 courts, which will be in full display during the Royal Gala on Monday, March 7. Everyone present at the Southwest Louisiana celebration will be given a piece of king cake, and 12 grand prizes are given to visitors who find a surprise in the cake. Tickets purchased in advance are $5, $6 at the door for adults and free for children 5 and under. Call or visit the Civic Center Box Office at (337) 491-1432 or www.swlamardigras.com.

JANUARY 7-8
•53rd Annual Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival
The “oldest and coldest festival with the warmest of hearts,” will kick off at the grounds of the old Cameron Elementary school Friday, Jan. 7 at noon and continue through Jan. 8. Enjoy plenty of activities including parades, Cajun music, exhibits, and a carnival, along with some rather unusual events such as trap setting contests, nutria and muskrat skinning, oyster shucking contests and duck and goose calling contests. For more information, visit http://lafurandwildlifefestival.com.

JANUARY 8
•Deputy Alan Inzer Memorial 5K Run
2011 marks the very first Deputy Alan Inzer Memorial 5K Run to be held on January 8, 2011, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The registration begins at 6:30 a.m. and the race starts 8 a.m. To pre-register, call (337) 348-2285 or email schesson@cpso.com.

JANUARY 8 and 22
•Free Eye Screenings
Hart Eye Center of Lake Charles will hold free eye screenings on January 8 and 22 to help people protect their vision from the damaging effects of cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration are serious eye diseases that cannot only damage vision, but if left undetected or untreated, each has the potential to cause blindness. To schedule a free screening, you must call Hart Center at 439-4014 to make an appointment. For more information on free eye screenings or to check for future dates and schedule changes visit www.harteyecenter.com or call 439-4014.

JANUARY 14-17
•Martin Luther King, Jr. Festival
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Festival will be Jan. 14–17 with various activities to celebrate the holiday. On Friday, Jan. 14, the memorial breakfast will kick off this year’s festivities at Trinity Baptist Church at 7:30 a.m. The breakfast will be aired live on KPLC-TV and will honor individual efforts throughout the community. On Saturday, Jan. 15, the gospel hit stage play, Sometimes Love Ain’t Enough will come to Central School Arts & Humanities Center Theater in Lake Charles at 7:30 p.m. Singers from all around Louisiana will perform Sunday, Jan. 16, during the Gospel Extravaganza at the Throne of Grace Fellowship Church in Lake Charles. Finally, Sponsors KZWA and the City of Lake Charles present the 27th Annual MLK Coalition Festival Family Day on Monday, Jan. 17 at the Lake Charles Civic Center beginning with a parade which lines up at 11 a.m. Enjoy live R&B, Blues and Southern Soul music.  Don’t miss the Gumbo/Sauce Piquant Cook-Off Contest and hundreds of local arts, crafts and food vendors. Admission to the MLK Family Day is free with the purchase of an official MLK t-shirt, and children 12 and under also enter for free. Visit www.kzwa.com, or call (337) 491-9955.

JANUARY 15
•Mardi Gras Queens’ Pageant
Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana invites all young ladies between the ages of 5 and 23 for Miss divisions or 24 and up for the Ms. division to enter the 2011 Miss Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana pageant on Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Lake Charles Civic Center Contraband Room. Beginning at 9 a.m., judging will begin for participants 5-15 years old and 6:30 p.m. for those 16-24 years old and up. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 years old and under. Programs are $5 each. For more information, visit www.swlamardigras.com.

JANUARY 20
•Honoré Headlines Chamber Banquet
The upcoming January 20 Chamber SWLA banquet will feature the Hurricane General, Lt. General Russel L. Honoré and spotlight where we stand as a region five years after Hurricane Rita. This strong leader will talk about preparedness and survival which will propel our region to an even greater future. Registration for this event is now open to members of the Chamber SWLA and interested members of the Southwest Louisiana business community! Individual tickets are $70 and placed in open seating, but organizations who reserve tables of eight will receive preferential table placement and signage at the discounted rate of $520. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. in the Coliseum at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The theme of this year’s banquet is “Looking Back – Five Years of Recovery, Renewal, and Revitalization.”

JANUARY 28
•Mardi Gras Shoebox Float Contest
The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau is inviting the community to bedazzle their shoeboxes and help usher in the Mardi Gras season. Anyone can participate! The deadline for registering is Friday, Jan. 28. Floats will be received at the bureau’s welcome center, 1205 N. Lakeshore Drive, on Friday, Feb. 11, and judging will take place on Saturday, Feb. 12. For a registration form, visit www.visitlakecharles.org/shoebox or contact the bureau at (337) 436-9588.

ONGOING
•VSE Asking Community’s Help By Saving Labels
Vincent Settlement Elementary is participating in two programs for redeeming UPC labels, which will earn points toward purchasing educational supplies and also help the school get free books, and they would appreciate the community’s help. The Labels for Education Program urges participating schools to turn in Campbell’s Soup labels which can then be redeemed for educational supplies for math, science, reading, and other classroom tools and kits. In the Sunny D Book Spree the first 20 UPC labels turned in earns 20 free books for the school. The grand prize consists of the top five schools, who will get 1,250 free books, and first place (the next top five schools) will get 600 free books. If you would like to help VSE earn points, books, and supplies for their school, please save the UPC labels from Campbell’s Soup cans and Sunny D. The labels can be either dropped off at the school or mailed to 1072 Vincent Settlement Rd., Sulphur LA, 70665.
•W.O. Moss Regional Cookbook on Sale
LSU Health System – Health Care Services Division - W. O. Moss Regional Medical Center – in celebrating its 50th Anniversary has put together a collection of recipes in a cookbook; Eat Well, Cook Often – W.O. Moss Regional Medical Center 50th Anniversary Cookbook. There are over 300 recipes professionally published in a gold and purple ring binder. The cookbook is broken down into 9 categories including soups, breads, main dishes, and desserts. The cookbook has recipes from hospital employees, friends of the hospital, and special classic recipes from Moss’ first cookbook which was published in 1988. A project of the Service Auxiliary, each cookbook cost $15 with proceeds going to the Community Assistance fund, which assist patients with transportation cost, medication co-pays, and other healthcare needs. If you would like to purchase a cookbook, please call 337-475-8334.
•Care Help-Community Education Computer Classes
Care Help of Sulphur is offering self teaching interactive programs on Monday from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and on Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Available are Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista, Touch typing, Word, Excel, Access Outlook, Powerpoint, and Internet Explorer 6/7/8. Care Help is located at 112 E. Thomas Street in Sulphur. Beginners are welcome. Please call 528-2273 to sign up as seating is limited. Free and open to all regardless of income.
•Sulphur Kiwanis Club Meeting
The Sulphur Kiwanis Club meets each Wednesday at noon in the West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital conference room located at 701 Cypress Street in Sulphur.
•Ladies Auxiliary VFW Department of Louisiana selling Money Calendars
In July of 2013, Armithea ”Sissy” Borel will be installed as the National Ladies Auxiliary VFW President in Reno, Nevada. Louisiana has had only two National Presidents to come from the state with the last being in 1974. Borel is from Starks, La and belongs to VFW Aux 4759. The Ladies Auxiliary VFW Department of Louisiana is selling money calendars to help finance Borel’s homecoming in Louisiana. Calendars are $20 each and winning numbers on the calendars are the pick three numbers in the Louisiana Lottery. Winning go from $20 to $100. To purchase a calendar contact Lynette Chiasson at 337-527-0075. Make checks payable to Ladies Auxiliary Department of Louisiana Earmark Money Calendars.
•Lake Charles Community Band Concerts
Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming concerts from the Community Band: March 2011, and the Catch-A-Concert Series, every Monday in June. For more information on the Community Band, visit us online at lakecharlescommunityband.teamr.com.
•Literacy Council Offers Online G.E.D. Course
Need help preparing for your G.E.D.? Work on-line at your own pace. All that’s needed is access to a computer with Internet and a $25 registration fee. Call the Literacy Council of SWLA to schedule your orientation at (337) 494-7000. Orientations are offered in Sulphur, Lake Charles, Westlake and Cameron.
•Wise Penny Thrift Store Hours
Care/Help of Sulphur’s Wise Penny Thrift Store regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Every first and third Friday is 50 Cent Day for clothes, shoes, and purses as well as daily 50 percent off sales.