MARCH 9
•Cardiologist to speak at diabetic support group meeting
John Winterton, MD, staff cardiologist at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, will be the featured speaker at the hospital’s diabetic support group meeting on March 9. Dr. Winterton will discuss the signs and symptoms of peripheral vascular disease, conventional treatment for blocked arteries, and newer, minimally invasive procedures. Those suffering from leg and hip pain, decreased circulation in the legs, or numbness and tingling in the toes, are encouraged to attend this informational meeting.
The diabetic support group at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital meets the second Tuesday of each month at 11:30 a.m. in the hospital’s cafeteria conference room. There is no charge to attend these monthly meetings. For more information, call (337) 527-4282.
MARCH 11
•Exceptional Citizens Party at VFW
The VFW and Aux 8107 will host an Exceptional Citizens Party on Thursday, March 11, 2010 starting at 6 p.m. It will be at the VFW Post Home, 1235 E. Napoleon St. in Sulphur. Music will be provided by Sam Hewitt and LA Dust. Everyone is encouraged to wear green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
•WCAC Meeting
West Calcasieu Association of Commerce will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 11, noon, at the Holiday Inn--Sulphur (330 Arena Road). The $10 lunch meeting will feature guest speaker Bill Hankins with West Cal Cam Hospital. Meeting is open to all members, guests, and anyone interested in becoming a member of the West Calcasieu Assocation of Commerce. For more information, call Janice Ackley at (337) 533-1040.
•Smoky Mountains trip deadline
Judy Ashe and Ollie Smith of Sulphur present a Smoky Mountains 'Show Trip' May 16-22, 2010. The trip will include: guided tour of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, six nights lodging including four consecutive nights in the Smokies, 10 meals (six breakfasts, four dinners), four evening shows and two morning shows, and time in historic downtown Gatlinburg. The cost for this seven day, six night trip is $565. Deadline is March 11. For information and reservations contact Judy Ashe at 337-563-8697 or Ollie Smith at 337-527-9046.
•LOWV to hold annual banquet
The League of WoMen Voters will hold its Annual Banquet at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 11, 2010 at Reeves Uptown Catering, located at 1639 Ryan Street.
District Attorney John F. DeRosier will be the featured speaker.
Registration and networking will take place just prior to the meeting. Membership applications are available at the registration desk or at www.lwv-lc.org. The public is invited and encouraged to attend and get informed on the latest reforms in the District Attorney’s office, The cost is $30 for members, $35 for non-members.
To insure seating and sponsorship recognition, please make your reservation no later than 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, 2010, by emailing President Kay Andrews at info@lwv-lc.org or call 474-1864,
MARCH 11, MARCH 18, and MARCH 27
•AARP Driver Safety Program Classes
The Driver Safety Program of AARP announces the classes for March, 2010. The class is a four-hour course. Each person completing the course may receive up to three years in auto insurance savings and should check with their individual insurance carrier for verification of the discount. No tests are given and membership in AARP is not required. Cost is $12 for AARP members (AARP card required) and $14 for non-members.
This course has been offered for 30 years by trained instructors and must be taken every three years in order to be current for the insurance discount. It is designed to help drivers improve driving skills, learn defensive driving techniques and offers practical information to reduce traffic violations and crashes. There is no final test to pass. Pre-registration for classes is recommended.
Women and Children's Hospital, 4200 Nelson Road, Lake Charles, will host a class on Thursday, March 11, 2010, starting at 8:30 a.m. Call Mitch Lebert, Instructor, at 842-4458 to register. Leave a message if necessary.
Moss Bluff Senior Center, 2868 US 171, Moss Bluff, will host a class on Thursday, March 18, 2010 starting at 8:30 a.m. Contact 217-0500 to register. Barbara McManus will be the instructor.
Ward 3 Recreation Center, Derbonne Sports Complex, 7903 Lake Street, Lake Charles, will host a class on Saturday, March 27, 2010, starting at 9 a.m. Call 477-2656 to register. Leave a message if necessary. The instructor will be Paul Arnold.
MARCH 12
•Tony DuPuis – Leap of Faith 2010 at Art Associates Gallery
The Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana is thrilled to announce the opening of Tony DuPuis – Leap of Faith 2010 at the Art Associates Gallery at Central School Arts and Humanities Center. The show, which will feature Tony DuPuis’s drawings, never-before-seen sketches and paintings, jewelry, pottery, and other art pieces, will open on Friday, March 12th, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information on this or any other Art Associates Gallery show, please call 337-439-2787 or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.
MARCH 13
•CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation's Tavern On The Green event
The CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation will host the 5th Annual Tavern on the Green Celebration on Saturday, March 13, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at the Gray Plantation Clubhouse.
This magical evening will commemorate CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital’s 102nd Anniversary and will feature Irish-themed hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and live bagpipe music. Corporate event sponsors are Lundy, Lundy, Soileau & South, L.L.P. and the Stream Family. One lucky ticket holder will walk away with a fabulous trip for two to New York City . This fantastic prize, sponsored by The Pathology Laboratory, Merchants & Farmers Bank & Trust Company and CHRISTUS HomeCare and Hospice, includes air fare, three-night hotel accommodations, dinner at an Irish New York restaurant and more. Must be present to win!
Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased online at www.stpatrickfoundation.org or by calling the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation office at (337) 430-5353. Dress is business casual and complementary valet parking will be provided. Proceeds will benefit the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation.
MARCH 15
•Women with Cancer are invited to Look Good…Feel Better®
Looking good can often be an important step toward feeling good – especially for women who are fighting the cancer battle. With that in mind, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and the American Cancer Society are offering women struggling with cancer—the diagnosis, treatment, and concerns about their appearance—a chance to Look Good…Feel Better®.
A free seminar offering help and encouragement in coping with the side effects of cancer treatment, Look Good…Feel Better will be held Monday, March 15, from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the Shearman Conference Center at Memorial Hospital on Oak Park Boulevard.
Specially trained beauty professionals will be on hand to offer practical tips about skin care, makeup techniques, and guidance for coping with hair loss. The program also offers a sense of community where women are taught what to expect and how to deal with changes to their appearance.
Reservations for Look Good…Feel Better at Memorial are available through the American Cancer Society at (337) 433-5817.
MARCH 16
•LABI lists legislative priorities at luncheon
As part of their statewide tour, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) President Dan Juneau will be in Lake Charles in March to present LABI’s priorities for the 2010 regular legislative session and the state’s fiscal outlook as well as overview federal legislation which could dramatically affect Louisiana businesses.
Juneau will at be at Reeves Uptown Catering, 1639 Ryan Street, at noon on Tuesday, March 16. The cost will be $25 a person. R.S.V.P. to Lynette Clark at lclark@allianceswla.org by March 12.
MARCH 20
•Celebrate the ‘Wearing of the Green’ in Southwest Louisiana
Southwest Louisiana will get the opportunity to celebrate the “Wearing of the Green” at the 2010 St. Patrick’s Day 2010 celebration on Saturday, March 20, at the Brick House, 110 Pine St.
The event, which will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is presented by the Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation.
Entertainment will be provided by a pair of Celtic bands from Lafayette, Drowsy Maggie and Farouche, balladeer Andy Blanton and the Lone Star Pipe Band.
Drowsy Maggie has, for the past eight years, blended their talents on flute, tin whistle, guitar, bodhran and their vocals to please audiences young and old.
Farouche plays an exciting blend of Celtic and Cajun music, utilizing bagpipes, fiddles, tin whistle, guitar and bodhran.
Blanton carries on the strong tradition of Celts who tell their family and countries’ history with stirring and soothing song.
A children’s area will be provided with a petting zoo and games.
Food will include such Celtic favorites as Irish stew, shepherd’s pie and scotch eggs.
Admission is $5 per person, with children under 10 and under being admitted free. A Family Special makes it so families will pay no more than $20, regardless of family size.
St. Patrick’s Day is an annual feast day that celebrates St. Patrick, the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland.
For more information, call 439-4888.
•SWLA Genealogical Society to meet
The regular meeting of the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical Society, Inc., will be held on Saturday, March 20, in the Carnegie Meeting Room of the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Library, 411 Pujo Street, Lake Charles, beginning at 10 a.m. Coffee and fellowship will begin at 9:30 a.m. The program will be "The Many Cultures of French Louisiana" presented by Jim Bradshaw of Washington, LA. Guests are always welcome.
MARCH 24 - APRIL 28
•Calcasieu Kennel Club Obedience Classes
A six-week obedience course sponsored by the Calcasieu Kennel Club will begin on March 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. outdoors at Burton Coliseum. Handlers will be taught how to train their dogs to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test to be held on Wednesday, May 5. Cost of the class is $40. Call now as space is limited. Contact Sallie Shepherd at 478-2627 for more information or email ckcevents@yahoo.com.
MARCH 25
•Childhood obesity seminar
Healthy children gain weight as they grow, but extra pounds—more than what's needed to support their growth and development—can lead to childhood obesity, a serious medical condition that often starts kids on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
If you think these issues are weighing down on your family’s health, there is a seminar for you. Join Danette Null, MD, a family practice physician on staff at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, for A Growing Problem: Childhood Obesity, a free seminar that will cover the causes and effects of this alarmingly common problem, as well as offer helpful tips and suggestions for treatment and prevention.
A Growing Problem: Childhood Obesity is a free seminar being held at 12 noon on Thursday, March 25, in the Shearman Conference Center at Memorial Hospital on Oak Park Boulevard. Refreshments will be provided, and reservations are required.
For more information or to make a reservation, please visit www.lcmh.com or call (337) 494-2936.
APRIL 22
•Senior Citizen's Safety Awareness & Fun Day
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office will be holding a Senior Citizen’s Safety Awareness & Fun Day on Thursday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will be at the Lake Charles Civic Center and is free for seniors 55 years and older. For more information, call 263-4563.
APRIL 24
•NAMIWalks for the Mind of America
The 8th Annual NAMIWalks for the Mind of America will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, at the Lake Charles Civic Center Amphitheater. If you would like to walk or find out more about this event, go to www.nami.org/sites/namiswla or call 433-0219.
ONGOING
•‘Frasch Pictures America’ exhibit
The Brimstone Historical Society and Frasch Elementary would like to invite the public to a very special exhibit. Frasch Elementary’s library (led by Jeni Anderson) and the Art Department (led by Jennifer Manuel) have worked very hard to prepare a display which incorporates history, art, and literature all in one exhibit. The exhibit is part of a “We the People” grant. This grant is given by the National Endowment of the Humanities to special programs throughout the country.
The display features paintings, writings, and collages from 4th and 5th grade students at Frasch. This will be on display from now until April 1, so don’t miss your chance to see how “Frasch Pictures America!” The Henning Cultural Center also has new Saturday hours. The Cultural Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, effective immediately.
For more information about this or upcoming exhibits, please call at 337-527-0357.
•Free Eye Screenings
Hart Eye Center holds eye screenings on two Saturdays every month. Individuals attending the screening must call Hart Center at 439-4014 to make an appointment. Hart Eye Center will hold eye screenings on the following dates: March 13 and 27; April 10 and 24; May 15 and 29; June 12 and 26. For more information on free eye screenings or to check for future dates and schedule changes visit www.harteyecenter.com or call 439-4014.
•Care Help of Sulphur “Life Skills Classes” Schedule
March 12 - How to Prepare A Budget; April 9 - The Hidden Job Market; May 14 - Skills Assessment; June 11 - How to Prepare a Budget. Location: 112 E. Thomas St. in Sulphur from 1 to 3 p.m. Call 528-2273 to reserve a seat. There is a drawing for a Wise Penny Thrift Store Gift Certificate. Please visit their website at www.care-help.org.
•Wise Penny Thrift Store New Hours
Care/Help of Sulphur’s Wise Penny Thrift Store new hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Care/Help is opening one hour early for your shopping convienence. Every first and third Friday is 50 Cent Day for clothes, shoes, and purses. They also have daily 50 percent off sales.
•Lifelong Learning Center Classes
Take charge of your life in 2010 by enrolling in classes at the Lifelong Learning Center. Classes are available for adults wanting to get their GED or improve their reading, writing, math, and spelling skills. The Learning Center also offers ESL (English as a Second Language) classes. These classes are for people moving here from other countries who need to learn the English language. Classes are taught by experienced and qualified instructors in small group class settings to allow for individualized attention. Morning and night classes are available. Improving your skills today makes for a brighter tomorrow. Call 494-7000 for more information, or to find out how you can register for classes at the Lifelong Learning Center. Free bus tokens are available to help with transportation needs.
•Childbirth Education Classes at WCCH
Childbirth is a life changing experience. To help with the adjustment, the Labor and Delivery Department at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital offers whole-family support by conducting childbirth education classes for expectant mothers and their partners. These once-weekly classes cover childbirth preparation, breathing and relaxation techniques, parenting and breastfeeding. Upcoming childbirth education classes at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital began on Monday, February 8 and will last until Monday, March 29. This series of classes is offered at no charge. The last class on Monday, March 29 will provide information on breastfeeding and is open to new or expectant parents wishing to learn more about the topic. Breast pump rentals and supplies will be available. For more information or to reserve a seat in these classes, please call (337) 527-4361.
•Mayor’s Commission for the Needs of the Disabled
On the second Wednesday of each month, 10:30 a.m., the Mayor’s Commission for the Needs of the Disabled meet in the Sulphur City Council Chambers, 500 N. Huntington Street.
Sulphur, La. —
