Patterson Garden Club helped decorate the dining hall and lobby for Christmas at Patterson Healthcare Center. Also helping were Lynette Davis, residents and workers.
While the big, traditional wedding cake shows no signs of going away, many couples are also including an array of sweet little bites at their receptions.
It’s an opportunity for newlyweds to show who they are, said Jennifer Cress, digital director at Martha Stewart Weddings.
“We’re seeing many couples include sweets that say something about their relationship, like a family cookie recipe, or their go-to ice cream flavor,” she said. “Every couple wants to personalize their wedding day as much as possible, and dessert is an easy way to do that.”
Los Angeles couple Lauren Aust and Sonny Yuen did just that for their Kansas City, Missouri, wedding this summer.
“We used food as a vehicle to help tell our story,” Aust said. “Dinner stations were themed after some of our favorite New York food adventures.
“I saw the same opportunity with dessert. When our caterer mentioned they used doughnut holes from Lamar’s (a Kansas City shop) to do a flambee station, if seemed a nice way to give guests a taste of my hometown and create a moment that was experiential.”
Desserts allow for culinary creativity — things like cake lollies, mini milkshakes, churros and alcoholic ice pops. And they give guests the chance to sample quick treats before getting back to the center of the party.
Meghan Leese, who plans and runs weddings in Chicago and New Jersey, said, “The cake is only important for about half of the weddings we do. It’s more about the dessert bar, with the cake as one of the options.”
WeddingWire’s creative director Jeffra Trumpower agrees. “Couples want to make things less pretentious and more fun,” she said.
Among her favorite trends for the wedding sweet table is one she calls “breakfast for dessert” — mini waffles, pancakes or crepe stacks decked out with fresh fruit, whipped cream and other accompaniments.
“It’s the perfect ‘wake-up call’ for a surge of energy,” she said. “You can easily pop these treats in your mouth and head back to the dance floor.”
Trumpower said comfort and nostalgia are in. There are make-your-own s’mores stations, self-serve hot chocolate, and top-your-own mini pies with seasonal fruits.
New Yorker Amanda Scott went to a wedding on Long Island recently where nobody wanted to sit and eat. “Servers came around the dance floor with apple pie shooters and little macaroons. People loved it!”
Margaret Foster of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, attended a September wedding in which the couple did without the cake entirely, to save money, concentrating their budget on venue, photographer and DJ.
“There was a table with plates of mini desserts like cannolis, doughnuts, cheesecake and brownie bites. I loved how unique and intimate it all was — more about the bride, groom and their loved ones than wedding traditions,” she said. “They also provided little pastry bags for guests to take desserts home.”
Cress said the dessert-as-wedding-favor is another trend.
As are food stations. “They’re entertaining, and make the day feel a little more bespoke,” Cress said. “Other than make-your-own options, one-bite desserts seem to be growing in popularity. I think with couples offering so many different food choices, guests want to be able to sample it all.”
And don’t overlook the social-media value of a decked-out dessert table: “Desserts tend to be one of the most Instagramm-able moments of the night,” said Cress.
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A 40-year-old Morgan City woman was caught with over $3,600 worth of illegal drugs and over $800 in counterfeit money after authorities conducted a search warrant at an Egle Street home, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Scott Anslum said in a news release.
Crystal Thompson, 40, of Egle Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 5:58 p.m. Monday on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of schedule III buprenorphine and naloxone, possession of MDMA/ecstasy with intent to distribute, monetary instrument abuse (counterfeit money) and possession of cocaine.
Detectives with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Section executed a search warrant at a home on Egle Street in order to locate Thompson on an active warrant for her arrest. Upon arrival, detectives made contact with Thompson and advised her of the warrant. Through the investigation, drugs, drug paraphernalia, and counterfeit money were seized. The street amount of the drugs is approximately $3,645. The counterfeit bills were in denominations totaling $830, Anslum said.
Thompson was jailed with bail set at $150,500.
Anslum reported that deputies responded to 35 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—Michael Miller, 32, of Columbus Drive in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 9:25 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of domestic abuse battery.
A deputy patrolling the area of Patterson was dispatched to the Patterson Police Department in reference to a domestic battery. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with a victim who stated that the victim was struck by Miller, Anslum said.
The deputy went to a home on Grandwood Street and made contact with Miller. Miller was jailed with no bail set.
—Danielle Jacquneaux, 40, of Eline Street in Rayne, was arrested at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of theft.
A transportation deputy made contact with Jacquneaux when the deputy transported her to parish jail from another agency for booking. No bail was set.
—Kristin Hull, 28, of Henry Street in Patterson, was arrested at 5:21 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for failure to appear on the charges of possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids and introducing contraband into or on the grounds of any state correctional institution.
A deputy went to a home on Henry Street in reference to Hull, who had an active warrant for her arrest. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with Hull, advised her of the warrant and transported her to parish jail with no bail set.
—Robert Toups, 34, of Levee Road in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:10 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of criminal neglect of family.
A deputy assisted the Berwick Police Department with a traffic stop on La. 182 in Bayou Vista and made contact with Toups. The deputy was advised that Toups had an active warrant for his arrest.
The deputy advised Toups of the warrant and transported him to parish jail. Bail was set at $13,767.62.
—Nicole Crochet, 36, of River Road in Berwick, was arrested at 4:55 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Detectives with the Narcotics Section along with officers with the Berwick Police Department went to an address on River Road in reference to a complaint of Crochet smoking marijuana at her home, Anslum said.
Upon arrival, the detectives made contact with Crochet. Through the investigation, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found, the sheriff said. Crochet was released on a summons to appear March 6, 2019.
Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 52 calls and reported the following arrests:
—William J. Allen, 48, of Everett Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:06 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of probation violation.
Allen was arrested at the police department on a city court warrant. Allen was jailed.
—Justin Vosburg, 27, of Susan Court in Stephensville, was arrested at 9:54 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with failure to pay probation fees.
Vosburg was located in the area of Railroad Avenue near East Boulevard. A warrant check was done on Vosburg , and police determined that he had an arrest warrant for city court. Vosburg was jailed.
—Azireion K. Verdun, 19, of Anderson Street in Franklin, was arrested at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of possession of marijuana.
Verdun was a passenger of a vehicle involved in a traffic stop on La. 182. Verdun was in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. Verdun was jailed.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.
Patterson Police Chief Janis Merritt reported no arrests.
American flags around the Tri-City area, including this one in front of Coburn's Supply on U.S 90 in Bayou Vista, have been lowered in memory of former President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday. President Donald J. Trump has ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings are flying at half-staff for 30 days.
The Daily Review/Bill Decker
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By BILL DECKER
bdecker@daily-review.com
St. Mary Parish voters have a chance to change the parish’s home rule charter Saturday. They may get more chances soon.
Along with the runoffs for secretary of state, sheriff and coroner, a proposed charter amendment appears on the Dec. 8 general election ballot. It would set the pay for parish council members at $800 per month for those who represent specific districts and $1,200 for those who are elected by voters across the parish.
Supporters point to language in the proposed amendment that forbids a pay raise vote in the last year of a council term and says no pay raise can take effect during the term in which it is enacted. That gives voters an opportunity to say whether they go along with the raise their elected representatives have voted for themselves.
But the St. Mary Industrial Group thinks voters deserve an even louder voice in that process. In an ad that appeared in The Daily Review last week, SMIG came out against the amendment, saying it gives the council rather than the voters the power to raise its pay. SMIG also hinted that the council was trying to pull a fast one by putting the measure on the runoff ballot rather than on the Nov. 6 primary ballot, when turnout was likely to be higher.
Maybe. There’s an argument to be made that the Nov. 6 ballot already had a couple of state-level races, the 3rd District House race, the sheriff and coroner elections, municipal elections, school board elections, property tax renewals and six — count ’em six — proposed amendments to the state constitution.
At any rate, voters have the chance to decide how the council’s pay will be set.
Meanwhile, a parish charter review committee began meeting last month. It’s chaired by Oray Rogers of Franklin, with Morgan City attorney Nicholas LaRocca serving as vice chairman and Ed Jones, a Patterson attorney, as secretary.
It’s not clear yet what recommendations, if any, will come out of the committee. But two major changes in St. Mary governance have been talked about for at least the last couple of years.
One of them is the possibility of turning the parish president position into a full-time job with full-time pay. This idea tends to bubble up after a major economic blow, most recently last year when PHI began talking about consolidating its Amelia operations with those in Terrebonne Parish.
The underlying sentiment here is that a fulltime parish president would be able to devote his or her energy to pursuing economic development opportunities.
My time at The Daily Review has coincided with the administration of Parish President David Hanagriff, who is a businessman but doesn’t miss many public events around the parish. This year, Hanagriff successfully lobbied local governments to give him the power to streamline applications for industrial property tax exemptions. He’s also been on hand for several of the Hospital Service District No. 2 meetings focusing on finding a new company to manage Teche Regional Medical Center.
Hanagriff has been busy.
But when the initial shock of losing a job provider dies down, so does the talk of making the president position full time. We’ll have to see if a full-time parish president causes a blip on the charter committee’s radar.
The other change talked about often is some consolidation of St. Mary’s patchwork of taxing districts. The current system seems designed for inefficiency and to confuse people.
It doesn’t help that our property tax rates are expressed in mills, a coin that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s like going to the grocery store and being told they accept only shekels.
Yet this would be a complicated task. Somewhere along the way, some combination of voters and legislative authorities created all those districts and set the tax rates. If any bonded debt is involved, someone is going to have to take the temperature of bond attorneys.
It’ll be a bear, and it’s not something you can wave a magic wand — or a charter amendment — to straighten out.
Bill Decker is managing editor of The Daily Review.
February 15, 1942-November 30, 2018
Ruth Besse Ortis, 76, a resident of Patterson, passed away peacefully Friday, November 30, 2018, at Patterson Healthcare, surrounded by her loving family.
Ruth was born on February 15, 1942, in Morgan City, the third daughter of Harold F. Besse and Floriece Hepler Besse.
Having been born into the Besse Jewelers family, Ruth became a jeweler and worked in the business for all of her life. When she wasn’t working she enjoyed horseback riding, playing bluegrass music with her brother-in-law and loved working in her yard. Ruth was the type of person that never met a stranger and everyone was a friend. She enjoyed helping people and was always willing to extend a helping hand to others. She loved her family and cherished the time that she got to spend with them.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her husband of 18 years, John Calvin Ortis of Patterson; six children, Harold Siracusa and wife Mona of Morgan City, Jimmy Siracusa and wife Wendy of Bayou L’Ourse, Tina Hodges and husband Joe of Dierks, Arkansas, John Lynn Ortis and wife Laura of Leesville, Kevin Ortis and wife Heather of Spanish Fort, Alabama, and Travis Ortis and wife Tessa of Prairieville; one daughter-in-law, Debbie Siracusa Percle of Morgan City; 13 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; six sisters, Mary Blanchard of Shreveport, Wanda Coleman and husband Wayne of Broussard, Helen Solar and husband Charlie of Morgan City, Floriece Tisdale of Morgan City, Honorine Mier and husband Michael of Broussard, and Charmaine Oubre and husband Michael of Stephensville.
Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Flo Hepler Besse; one son, Joseph Siracusa; two brothers-in-law, Carol Blanchard and Robert Tisdale; one niece, Angie Mier; and one great-niece, Nicole Price.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with a visitation being held from 9 a.m. until the time of Mass. Following Mass, Ruth will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery Mausoleum.
FOOD/CLOTHES
ARISE Women’s Group along with Vision World Outreach will have a free meal and clothes giveaway at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, under the U.S. 90 bridge at Greenwood and Fourth streets, Morgan City.
BERWICK
Housing Authority taking applications for all units from 8:15-11 a.m. and 1:15-3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13 and 20. Must bring birth certificates and Social Security cards for all members of the household, picture ID for all members over 18 and current proof of income. For info call 985-385-1546.
ST. MARY NAACP
Meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, at Walmsley United Methodist Church, 608 Freret St., Morgan City. All meetings open to public.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Dance sponsored by St. Mary AARP from 8 p.m. to midnight, Dec. 31, at St. Mary Senior Citizens Center, 4014 Chennault St., Morgan City. Music by Tee Nah Nah. Tickets $10. Call 985-384-2277.
BATON ROUGE — So much for that holiday spirit.
A new financial clash between Gov. John Bel Edwards and House Republican leaders should serve as a reminder that a budget and tax deal brokered only months ago wasn’t a harbinger of camaraderie between the two camps, particularly entering the 2019 election year.
The Democratic governor and the conservative House GOP lawmakers who lead the chamber are still miles apart philosophically — and politically — about budget issues, even when there’s more stability in state finances than Louisiana’s seen in a decade.
The latest disagreement erupted in Louisiana’s income forecasting panel, the four-member Revenue Estimating Conference, which determines how much money the state is expected to receiving from taxes, licenses, and fees each year.
House GOP leaders, represented by Appropriations Committee Chairman Cameron Henry, successfully blocked an increase in the forecast that Edwards, Senate leaders and other lawmakers hoped would pay for a $43 million list of spending plans, mainly on public safety programs.
Henry, sitting on the conference for House Speaker Taylor Barras, said he worried about financial uncertainty, questions about the federal tax rewrite’s implications on state tax collections and a recent plunge in oil prices.
“We’re concerned we’re going to spend more money than we need to right now,” the Jefferson Parish lawmaker said. “There’s just a lot of volatility in the economy.”
Economists for the Legislature and the Edwards administration recommended boosting this year’s forecast by about $150 million and next year’s forecast by up to $195 million. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, Edwards’ chief budget adviser, said Henry’s refusal to lift income projections was aimed at stymieing the governor’s spending plans.
“I don’t think you can escape the politics that was involved in this little game,” Dardenne said.
The income estimates, which must be approved unanimously, are used to build the state operating budget. Louisiana has been praised for creating the conference about 30 years ago. Financial analysts consider it a strong, nonpartisan budget reform.
But just like deal-making has gotten tougher in the partisan environment of the Louisiana Capitol, reaching unanimity on forecast decision-making apparently also will be getting harder among the panel’s members: the commissioner of administration, the Senate president, the House speaker, and an independent economist.
The Revenue Estimating Conference has been used as a tool in political fights in previous years, but sparingly. The latest turn of events may indicate a long-term, entrenched politicization of the panel, an attempt by conservative House Republicans to curb spending by refusing to recognize money until late in the process, when more limits fall on the dollars’ use.
Henry — and Barras in a follow-up phone interview — insisted the blocking of forecast changes stemmed from concerns that such decisions were premature in the financial year that began July 1.
Barras said he doesn’t want to fund the $43 million list now, have the income not pan out and lawmakers then have to make cuts near the end of the budget year.
“We’ve done that before, and that’s a worse exercise,” Barras said.
But Barras also acknowledged he also wasn’t inclined to support funding the $43 million list.
“The point was some spending restraints needed to be incorporated” as part of the budget deal earlier this year, he said.
And that’s where the Edwards administration and Republican Senate President John Alario bristle.
They say the Revenue Estimating Conference isn’t the place to argue about spending plans, but to determine the most accurate projection of income, based on economic modeling.
If Barras and Henry don’t want to fund items on the $43 million list, Dardenne and Alario say, they should take that fight to the legislative budget committee, not stall forecast changes recommended by their economists.
“This is supposed be as scientific as we possibly can be,” Alario said.
Beyond the $43 million list, the forecasting decisions have broader political implications.
If the conference doesn’t boost its projections for next year soon, Edwards won’t have the extra money he wants to use for a teacher pay raise in the budget proposal he’ll release ahead of the 2019 legislative session, in the thick of a contentious election season.
Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte
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