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No. 1 Patterson 12U Softball All-Stars win World Series
The Patterson 12U Babe Ruth Softball All-Stars had a summer to remember as the squad, which began postseason play in June, was the final team standing in the 12U Babe Ruth World Series bracket at the conclusion of the summer in August as it defeated Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East in the World Series finals.
The team finished the summer with a 15-3 record in combined state, southwest regional and world series play. Ironically, all three losses came to Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East, which defeated the team twice at the state tournament, the last time to win the state tournament, and again in the Southwest Regional before Patterson rallied to defeat the squad twice for the Southwest Regional title.
At the World Series, Patterson, finished with a combined 7-0 mark in pool play and bracket play and finished as the lone perfect team in 12U competition. The final victory was a 6-4 win against Jefferson Parish Recreation Department East for the World Series crown.
Following the World Series finals, Amaya Williams was named to the 12U All-Defensive Team and the 12U World Series team along with Mikah Ortiz and Hailey Skiles. Ortiz also was named the 12U Batting Champion, while Olivia Black was named the 12U Most Outstanding Player.
Team members included Williams, Ortiz, Black, Maggie Lemoine, Hillary Pillaro, Emily Lipari, Skiles, Kamille Lightfoot, Bryleigh DeHart, Abbie Scully, Anna Vaccarella, Laila Dugar, head coach Harris DeHart and assistant coaches Ronald Dugar and Jonathan Lightfoot.
No. 2 CCHS baseball is state runner-up
The Central Catholic High School baseball team recorded another dominate season in 2017 as it returned to the state baseball tournament for the sixth straight season.
However, the team’s bid for back-to-back state titles ended in heartbreak as the squad was upset by District 7-1A foe and No. 11 seed Ascension Episcopal 7-3 in the finals. The Eagles had defeated the Blue Gators in both of their regular-season contests.
Central Catholic finished its season with a 27-8 mark and had won 14 straight before falling in the finals. The squad concluded the year winning 26 of its last 30 games. Among the wins was an upset of Division I Jesuit High School.
The Eagles defeated No. 16 False River 9-0 in the first round and No. 8 Ascension Christian 7-1 in the quarterfinals.
In the semifinals, the Eagles got some late-game heroics from Mitchel Lemoine, who earned the win on the mound in a rare relief appearance and drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 5-4 victory against No. 4 Ascension Catholic.
No. 3 MCHS bowling team is state runner-up
The Morgan City Lady Tiger bowling team had another banner season in 2017 as the squad returned to the state’s Final Four.
Unfortunately, like in 2016, the squad fell short of a state championship, falling in the state title game for the second consecutive season.
With a senior-laden club, Morgan City advanced out of regionals and then the state’s western bi-regionals, where it was the No. 1 seed, defeating H.L. Bourgeois and Ellender.
In the state semifinals at the Final Four, Morgan City faced a rematch of its 2016 state championship match with Central of Baton Rouge. This time around, the Lady Tigers defeated Central 16-11 to advance to the finals.
However, that’s where Morgan City’s run would end as the squad fell to St. Scholastic, a team Morgan City dominated in the finals a year ago, by a 14-13 count. The match came down to total pins, which St. Scholastic won by 18 led by a strong third game.
No. 4 Berwick High School baseball is a Class 3A semifinalist
The Berwick High School baseball team had a dream season in 2017 as the squad, under first-year coach John Menard, advanced to the Class 3A semifinals for the first time since the 2007 season.
The Panthers, who entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed, were upset in the semifinals by No. 7 seed South Beauregard, 6-1. South Beauregard went on the won the state title, topping No. 5 seed Iowa 10-0.
Berwick began the postseason with a 16-2 win against No. 30 Albany before topping rival and No. 14 seed Patterson 2-0 in a best-of-three series.
In the quarterfinals, Berwick defeated No. 6 Buckeye 2-1 in a best-of-three series, with senior Andrew Askew lifting the squad to the state tournament in Sulphur after knocking in the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 6-5 win in game three.
Berwick concluded its season with a 25-11 mark.
Because the semifinal game was the same night as graduation, the team’s nine seniors received their diplomas on the field prior to the game.
Menard stepped down from his post following the season and took a job at New Iberia Senior High.
No. 5 Berwick football wins first playoff game in 20-plus years
Berwick High won its first playoff football game in 20-plus years this fall when the No. 11 seed Panthers defeated No. 22 Eunice 34-14 in the Class 3A Bi-District round.
The Panthers fell in the second round to eventual state champion and No. 6 seed West Feliciana 38-12. However, the squad had the longest playoff appearance this year of any Tri-City area squad.
Berwick advanced to the postseason after finishing the regular season with a 7-3 mark. The Panthers, led by secon-dd-year Coach Eric Holden, cracked the top 10 of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A poll during the season.
The Panthers’ lone regular-season losses were to Division IV Isidore Newman, who fell in the Division IV semifinals; district foe Kaplan, who fell in the semifinals to eventual state runner-up Richwood; and district rival Patterson, who also advanced to the playoffs.
The 2017 playoff appearance was the second for Berwick in as many seasons. A year ago, the squad snapped a 20-year playoff drought.
No. 6 Long excels in pro basketball career
Ex-Morgan City High School and University of Louisiana at Lafayette standout Shawn Long enjoyed an eventful but successful 2017 on the hardwood.
The local ballplayer started the year with the Delaware 87ers, the NBA D-League team of the Philadelphia 76ers, where he excelled so much that he was chosen for the D-League’s All-Star game that was played in New Orleans in February.
Later in the season, he was called up by the Philadelphia 76ers where he saw action and finished the season with per-game averages of 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds in 13 minutes of action per outing, according to Lafayette-based Sports Radio ESPN 1420.
He finished the season as a second-team All-NBA D-League selection, and he was signed to a multi-year deal by the 76ers.
However, Long was traded by the team in June to the Houston Rockets and cut by the Rockets in September, according to CBSSports.com.
He spent time in China as a member of the Chinese Basketball Association’s Xinjiang Flying Tigers where he had per-game averages topping 12 points and six rebounds, according to ESPN 1420.
The 6-foot, 9-inch, 248-pound center later was reacquired by the Delaware 87ers where he currently is playing.
Currently, he has seen action in four games and has per-game averages of 10.2 points, 1.2 blocks, 1.4 assists and 5.8 rebounds.
No. 7 CCHS softball advances to Division IV semis
The Central Catholic High School softball team made a return trip to the state softball tournament at Frasch Park two years after winning a Class 1A state title.
The Lady Eagles fell one game short of the title game this season as it was eliminated in the semifinals by Division IV’s top seed, Vermilion Catholic, in a heartbreaking 10-9 walk-off loss.
The Lady Eagles, who entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed, survived a first-round scare from District 7-1A foe and No. 12 seed Lafayette Christian for a 6-3 win before routing No. 4 seed False River 12-5 in the quarterfinals.
Central Catholic finished the season with a 24-10 mark and tied with Hanson Memorial for the district runner-up spot.
No. 8 CCHS volleyball reaches Division IV semifinals
The Central Catholic High School volleyball team advanced to the Division V semifinals this season, falling to eventual state champion Metairie Park Country Day.
While the Lady Eagles’ title drought continued another season with a three-set loss to the eventual state champions, Central Catholic did fall in three close sets as the squad dropped games by scores of 25-22, 25-23, 25-22.
Central Catholic concluded the season with a 32-12 mark and won the District 6-V title with a perfect mark.
The Lady Eagles entered the postseason as the No. 4 seed, and following a first-round bye, Central Catholic defeated No. 13 False River in the regional round and No. 5 St. John in the quarterfinal round. Both wins were in straight sets.
No. 9 MCHS softball reaches quarters
The Morgan City High School Lady Tiger softball team finally got over the state tournament hump in 2017 as the squad advanced to Sulphur for the first time since the 2004 season.
Unfortunately, the trip would be short-lived as the squad was eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual state run-ner-up and No. 11 seed West Ouachita 11-4 in Class 4A quarterfinal action at Frasch Park in Sulphur.
Despite the rough ending, it was a successful season for Morgan City, which finished as co-District 7-4A champs with South Terrebonne and concluded its season with a 25-4 mark.
Morgan City’s quarterfinal loss snapped a 12-game winning streak, dating back to March.
Morgan City’s playoff run included a 9-0 victory against No. 30 Pearl River in first-round action and a 6-1 win against District 7-4A foe and No. 19 Assumption in the regional round.
No. 10 Berwick boys hoops breaks playoff drought
Just months after the Berwick High School football team made the playoff for the first time in 20 years, the school’s boys basketball team followed suit, advancing to the Class 3A postseason in 2017.
Ironically, the Panthers faced the same team it had in the football playoffs: Brusly High School.
Unfortunately, though, the Panthers fell to Brusly 62-60 in two overtimes.
Berwick concluded its season with a 19-12 mark.
Following the season, senior Larenz Clark was named a Class 3A honorable mention All-State selection by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, while fellow senior Tysin Meads signed to continue his basketball career with Millsaps College.
The 2017 season would be the last for Coach Sean Comeaux, who after several season at Berwick as hoops coach, is now an assistant coach in football, baseball and basketball at North Vermilion.
The Tri-City area has experienced “a big increase” in flu activity during the past two weeks consistent with what Louisiana is experiencing as a whole, said Dr. Robert Blereau, flu surveillance officer in Morgan City.
St. Mary Parish and Louisiana aren’t alone in experiencing an above average flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Dec. 23, 2017, 36 states had widespread flu activity.
Getting the flu vaccine doesn’t guarantee someone will not get the flu.
But Blereau still advises people to get their flu shots because the season continues until May. A patient will take about two weeks to build up immunity to the flu viruses after getting the flu vaccine, if the shot is going to protect the person, Blereau said.
Teche Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Sabrina Williams said hospital personnel have seen substantial flu activity for about two months.
“We definitely have seen an increase in the flu. It’s alive and well all through the community,” Williams said.
And some of those patients are ones who received a flu shot because the shot isn’t proving effective against all strains of the flu virus, Williams said.
According to the CDC, last flu season, overall vaccine effectiveness against all circulating flu viruses was 39 percent, and effectiveness against a certain strain, H3N2, was 32 percent.
Vaccine effectiveness was higher against H1N1 and B viruses.
Last week, The Daily Mail in the United Kingdom reported this flu season’s “particularly dangerous strain, H3N2, has come relatively early, and the season has probably not reached its peak yet.”
Once a person gets the flu, Blereau stresses the importance of staying isolated from other people as much as possible until the flu goes away. Typically, someone who contracts the flu will stay sick for about a week, Blereau said.
“You can pass it on as long as you’re having symptoms,” Blereau said.
Anyone with a compromised immune system, especially older people and those with diabetes, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease or sickle cell anemia, should definitely get the flu shot, Blereau said.
People with those conditions who are around others should also take a prophylactic, such as Tamiflu, Blereau said.
Even if you get the flu after getting the vaccine, flu patients who get the shot usually have fewer symptoms, Williams said.
Though the majority of flu cases are in adults, Teche Regional officials are seeing a significant number of cases in children as well, Williams said.
Doctors also fear, with students going back to school after Christmas break, there may be an increase in pediatric flu cases, she said.
Teresa Bagwell, assistant superintendent for St. Mary Parish public schools, said the school system had an uptick in the number of students sick with the flu just before the holidays.
Since students returned to school Thursday, St. Mary public school officials didn’t have any significant number of flu-related absences, Bagwell said.
Central Catholic Principal Vic Bonnaffee said school officials saw “a couple of cases of the flu” just prior to leaving for Christmas break.
Attendance was normal when students returned to school Thursday, Bonnaffee said.
Holy Cross Elementary Principal Amanda Talbot said the school hasn’t seen much flu activity, but added that school officials don’t always know the specific reasons for student absences.
Much of the increased number of flu cases has been helped by people getting together for the holidays in confined spaces, Williams said. Additionally, people have been inside even more due to the frigid weather.
On Wednesday, a Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals news release said that Louisiana is among the states with the highest confirmed illness through symptoms and laboratory surveillance, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“In more severe seasons, the flu causes approximately 700 deaths and nearly 8,000 hospitalizations each year,” said Dr. Rebekah Gee, secretary, Louisiana Department of Health, in the news release.
Louisiana is “already on track to meet and possibly exceed these statistics for the current flu season,” Gee said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday moved to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open up federal waters off California for the first time in more than three decades.
The new five-year drilling plan also could open new areas of oil and gas exploration in areas off the East Coast from Georgia to Maine, where drilling has been blocked for decades. Many lawmakers in those states support offshore drilling, though the Democratic governors of North Carolina and Virginia oppose drilling off their coasts.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, also opposes offshore drilling near his state, as do the three Democratic governors on the West Coast.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the plan Thursday, saying that responsible development of offshore energy resources would boost jobs and economic security while providing billions of dollars to fund conservation along U.S. coastlines.
The five-year plan would open 90 percent of the nation’s offshore reserves to development by private companies, Zinke said, with 47 leases proposed off the nation’s coastlines from 2019 to 2024. Nineteen sales would be off Alaska, 12 in the Gulf of Mexico, nine in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific, including six off California.
“This is a draft program,” Zinke told reporters during a conference call. “Nothing is final yet, and our department is continuing to engage the American people to get to our final product.”
Industry groups praised the announcement, which would be the most expansive offshore drilling proposal in decades. The proposal follows President Donald Trump’s executive order in April encouraging more drilling rights in federal waters, part of the administration’s strategy to help the U.S. achieve “energy dominance” in the global market.
“To kick off a national discussion, you need a national plan — something that has been lacking the past several years,” said Randall Luthi, president of the National Ocean Industries Association. Former President Barack Obama blocked Atlantic and Pacific drilling under a five-year plan finalized in 2016.
A coalition of more than 60 environmental groups denounced the plan, saying it would impose “severe and unacceptable harm” to America’s oceans, coastal economies, public health and marine life.
“These ocean waters are not President Trump’s personal playground. They belong to all Americans and the public wants them preserved and protected, not sold off to multinational oil companies,” read the coalition’s statement, which was signed by leaders of the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, League of Conservation Voters and other environmental groups.
The proposal comes less than a week after the Trump administration proposed to rewrite or kill rules on offshore oil and gas drilling imposed after the 2010 rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident on BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig killed 11 workers and triggered the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
The Trump administration called the rules an unnecessary burden on industry and said rolling them back will encourage more energy production. Environmentalists said Trump was raising the risk of more deadly oil spills.
The Obama administration imposed tougher rules in response to the BP spill. The rules targeted blowout preventers, massive valve-like devices designed to prevent spills from wells on the ocean floor. The preventer used by BP failed. The rules require more frequent inspections of those and other devices and dictate that experts onshore monitor drilling of highly complex wells in real time.
The Gulf of Mexico is still recovering from the BP spill, said Diane Hoskins, campaign director for the marine conservation group Oceana.
“Americans have seen the devastation that comes from offshore drilling,” she said. “Will we allow Florida’s white beaches or the popular and pristine Outer Banks to share a similar fate? What about the scenic Pacific coast or even remote Arctic waters?”
Zinke’s announcement “ignores widespread and bipartisan opposition to offshore drilling,” including from more than 150 municipalities nationwide and 1,200 local, state and federal officials, Hoskins said.
Scott, the Florida governor, said he has asked for an immediate meeting with Zinke to discuss his concerns. “My top priority is to ensure that Florida’s natural resources are protected,” Scott said.
California was the site of the first offshore drilling in the U.S. more than 120 years ago, but the region was tarnished by one of the worst spills in U.S. history in 1969, when more than 3 million gallons of oil poured into the ocean near Santa Barbara.
Thousands of sea birds were killed, along with dolphins, elephant seals and sea lions. Virtually all commercial fishing near Santa Barbara was halted, and tourism dropped dramatically.
Public outrage generated by the spill helped spark the modern environmental movement, and no federal leases have been granted off the California coast since 1984.
Democratic Govs. Jerry Brown of California, Kate Brown of Oregon and Jay Inslee of Washington issued a joint statement slamming the proposal, which they said ignored science and the devastation of past offshore spills.
“We won’t forget history or ignore science,” the governors said. “For more than 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, short-sighted action.”
A Patterson woman was airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital Thursday after losing control of the pickup truck she was driving and running into a ditch on Red Cypress Road in Patterson, according to Police Chief Patrick LaSalle.
The woman, Lea Verret, 50, of Patterson, drove her truck off the roadway around 2:30 p.m. Thursday after losing control of the vehicle for unknown reasons, police said. She had serious injuries to both ankles and was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, LaSalle said.
A 39-year-old Morgan City woman was booked Thursday on warrants stemming from an incident in which she took a vehicle and several other items from a home, Morgan City Police Chief James Blair said in a news release.
—Hope Chettiyar, 39, of Kentucky Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 12:03 a.m. Thursday on warrants charging her with theft less than $1,000 and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and on a charge of improper lighting.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of Florence Street with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Chettiyar was identified as the driver.
Chettiyar had arrest warrants through the Morgan City Police Department. The warrants stem from a March 27, 2017, investigation where the victim alleged that Chettiyar took several items from the victim’s home along with a vehicle, Blair said. Chettiyar was jailed.
Blair reported that officers responded to 32 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Freddie Sellers, 27, of Keith Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant charging him with failure to appear for trial, a fugitive warrant for East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and on a charge of resisting an officer.
Sellers was located and arrested in the area of Aycock Street on warrants for the 16th Judicial Court and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office.
When officers located, Sellers he fled on foot, Blair said. Sellers was apprehended a short time later and taken into custody. Sellers was jailed.
—Burkin J. Dupre, 32, of Fifth Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:26 p.m. Wednesday on a warrant charging him with three counts of failure to appear for review. Dupre was located and arrested in the area of Seventh Street on a city court warrant. Dupre was jailed.
—James Nicholas, 40, of Barrow Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:50 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of disturbing the peace intoxicated.
Patrol officers responded to the area of Fourth Street in regard to an intoxicated person. Officers arrived, and Nicholas was found to be in an intoxicated state, Blair said. Nicholas was jailed.
— Chrisjana R. Seals, 27, of Halsey Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:06 a.m. Thursday on a warrant charging her with failure to appear for review. Seals was located and arrested in the area of La. 182 on a 16th Judicial District Court warrant. Seals was jailed.
—Caitlynn Ackerman, 20, of La. 182 in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:50 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving under suspension and improper lighting.
Patrol officers observed a vehicle being operated in the area of La. 182 with improper lighting. A stop was initiated, and Ackerman, the driver, had a suspended driver’s license, Blair said. Ackerman was jailed.
St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported that deputies responded to 56 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:
—John Crappell, 44, of Teche Road in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and on a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of simple assault.
Patrol deputies located Crappell at his home on the warrant. During the arrest, a deputy located a bag of crystal methamphetamine in Crappell’s pants pocket, Hebert said. Crappell was jailed with no bail set.
—Demarcus Roy, 25, of Mallard Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:19 a.m. Wednesday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and on a warrant for failure to appear on charges of domestic abuse battery by strangulation, possession of marijuana, and possession of Suboxone.
A deputy assisting Berwick police with a call for service on Fifth Street made contact with Roy and located the active warrant for his arrest. During the arrest, a deputy located a bag of crystal methamphetamine in Roy’s pants pocket, Hebert said. Roy was jailed with no bail set.
—Christopher Prince, 40, of Sundown Court in Gibson, was arrested at 1:33 a.m. Thursday on charges of interfering with a law enforcement investigation and possession of drug paraphernalia.
—Shelia Ruffin, 60, of Bayou Black Road in Gibson, was arrested at 1:33 a.m. Thursday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Deputies conducting a follow-up investigation into a case in Amelia made contact with Prince and Ruffin inside a vehicle. While speaking with Prince, a deputy smelled the strong odor of marijuana. The deputy found evidence that Prince had eaten a marijuana cigarette, Hebert said.
The deputy received consent to search Ruffin’s purse and located glass pipes used to consume illegal drugs along with other items of drug paraphernalia, the sheriff said. Prince and Ruffin were transported to parish jail. No bail is set for Prince. Bail is set at $1,500 for Ruffin.
Berwick Police Chief James Richard reported no arrests.
DEAR ABBY: Recently a friend came over and took me to lunch. She has a small, 50-year-old vintage car that was very popular in the ’60s. She had come from Marin County over the Golden Gate Bridge to my house.
As she drove us to the restaurant, her car stalled twice. It was very underpowered and, in my opinion, rickety. After she dropped me home, I sent her an email strongly expressing my concern that she is driving an unsafe car. I was worried for her safety. She took offense, so I apologized.
She has plenty of money to buy a safe used car like anyone else, but she says, “I like driving vintage.” I don’t want to get into her car again. Was I wrong to tell her I felt her car was unsafe?
NERVOUS PASSENGER IN SAN FRANCISCO
DEAR PASSENGER: You weren’t wrong to warn her. However, you may have been wrong to assume that she has “plenty of money to buy a safe used car.” Nobody has as much money as others assume they do. Because you don’t want to get into her car again, you should provide the transportation from now on or meet her at the restaurant.
DEAR ABBY: My across-the-street neighbor and I have become friendly. She has a 15-month-old and a newborn. Not only is she not married to the baby’s daddy, but they don’t even live together.
She has been asking me to help her a lot now that the baby is born. I’m 10 years older and raising three kids, all in their teens.
Abby, I don’t want to raise anyone else’s kids. How can I politely tell her that I have my own family to care for? She has a tendency to overreact.
KEEPING DISTANCE
DEAR KEEPING DISTANCE: To tell your neighbor you “don’t want to raise anyone else’s kids” may be accurate, but it’s a bit rough. When she asks you to do things for her, be pleasant and say — consistently — that you are busy, you don’t have time, you have other plans, etc. If you do, she will soon realize that you are not to be depended upon.
DEAR ABBY: My son has lived overseas on and off for six years. He’s being married to a wonderful young woman where they met, which was in Wales. Needless to say, not everyone can attend, so we are having a reception for them here in the States.
My son already has a fully furnished house overseas and doesn’t need anything, plus the cost of taking gifts back would be astronomical! Anyway, he is thinking of asking for monetary help with the honeymoon. Would this be all right to do and, if so, how do you ask people for it?
HELP FOR THE HONEYMOON
DEAR HELP: Many young people today post requests like that on their wedding website. Or, because friends and relatives may ask what they need after receiving invitations or announcements, the message can be conveyed verbally. According to the rules of etiquette, however, requests for gifts or money should NEVER be included WITH the invitations or announcements.
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Good advice for everyone — teens to seniors — is in “The Anger in All of Us and How to Deal With It.” To order, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 to: Dear Abby, Anger Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.
DEAR ABBY: My son and his wife have been together 10 years. They met and fell in love young. They are only 25 and have two beautiful children.
I remarried three years ago, and my son’s wife was instantly attracted to my 54-year-old husband. It’s always uncomfortable for the two of us when they come to visit. She stares at him throughout the entire visit, tries to either sit right next to him or directly across from him, and expects a hug every time they arrive and leave. (We finally put a stop to it because she would wait to hug him last and then hold him extra long.)
My husband confided that he’s flattered a 25-year-old gives him that much attention. Three years of this can be very wearing. Anything I can do and NOT lose my son?
AWKWARD IN THE EAST
DEAR AWKWARD: Tell your son that it appears his wife has a crush on your husband, and that while he is flattered that someone so young would find him attractive, her behavior makes both of you uncomfortable. Then let him explain to her that it is time to cool her engines.
DEAR ABBY: I have been best friends with a woman for 30 years, but lately our relationship has become strained. If I do something that irritates her, she gives me the cold shoulder and won’t return my phone calls. When she eventually calls back, she’s distant and cold.
I was out of the country for an extended period, and when I returned, she was upset with me for not phoning her. Now she’s upset with me because my husband and I missed an important milestone because of a family emergency.
I am tired of her passive-aggressive behavior, and I have come to realize that our lives have taken us in different directions. Mine is family-oriented. Hers is not because she has no children. Am I wrong to feel this way?
FRUSTRATED IN NEW MEXICO
DEAR FRUSTRATED: No, your perception is accurate. Your “bestie” appears to be unusually high maintenance. Rather than allow her to make you feel guilty, realize that not all friendships last forever, and this one may have run its course. Talk to her and express your feelings about this, but be prepared for the fact that it will probably end your relationship.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I are in our 60s. We have been married for some time and are very open-minded. She keeps insisting that she does not remember her first sexual experience. I would be curious to understand why in the world, unless someone was inebriated, the person would not recall this huge milestone.
BEWILDERED IN THE WEST
DEAR BEWILDERED: Not every question needs an answer. If your wife’s first experience was unpleasant or traumatic, she may have repressed the memory. Or she may simply prefer not to discuss it with you. My intuition tells me that you will have nothing to gain by continuing to push her. If you do, it not only won’t bring you closer; it may do the opposite.
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A seed packet may be small, but it speaks volumes.
While seed catalogs promote thousands of types of plants, seed packets tell gardeners how to grow one. All the information is printed on the back of a paper pouch slightly larger than the size of your wallet, and at prices that won’t empty it.
Although the cost of seeds has risen over the past few years, they’re still an economical way to garden, said Elsa Sanchez, a commercial vegetable crops specialist at Penn State University Extension.
“The other option would be to buy transplants, which is generally more expensive,” Sanchez said. “You also find a lot more options for types and cultivars when you start from seed.”
Seed packages have been a gardening staple in the United States for well over a century, although their look is frequently changed.
W. Atlee Burpee & Co., for example, has begun shipping re-designed packets for the 2018 growing season.
“We made the picture (of the plant) virtually the entire front of the packet, so there’s a very strong shout-out of what it is,” said Burpee chairman and chief executive officer George Ball. “We have just a few things on the front — the name, price and weight, such as we need to have.
“But turn it over and you’ll see that we’ve amped up the type of gardening information you’re going to get — the what, the how, the where and the when. The most important is the when,” Ball said. “We use USDA (hardiness) zones and maps for that.”
Company founder Washington Atlee Burpee used to call seed packets his “silent salesmen,” Ball said.
“It’s important that the seed packets be seen from 15 feet for in-store sales rather than 15 inches for a catalog. So we go for a more varnished look to make a good first impression,” he said.
The kind of information to expect from these miniature reference guides:
—Days to seed germination and maturity. Expect those to vary somewhat, though, based on sun exposure, soil temperature, fertility and moisture.
—Seed count and packing date. “Seed longevity is dependent on the type of seed and also storage conditions,” Sanchez said, recommending that any leftovers be kept cool and dry until another planting season rolls around. “Over time, viability and germination rates will decline.”
—Plant profile and size: whether it’s a hybrid, open pollinated or an heirloom, an annual, biennial or perennial.
—Planting instructions, including seed spacing and soil depth, light conditions and moisture requirements.
Then there’s the bonus information available through “QR” or quick-response coding, those usually square, artistic designs appearing more frequently on the flip side of seed packets. Download a free QR code reader app into your smart phone or tablet so you can read links and find information online.
“You can use smart phones to scan QR readers for a great many plant-particular details — information that just wouldn’t fit on the back of seed packets,” Sanchez said.
“It is a good idea to hang onto the seed packages after sowing as references for future care and harvesting,” she added.
—Online:
For more about how to read seed packets, see this fact sheet from University of Vermont Extension: http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/seedpkt.html
A perfectly cooked steak is what many people — with good reason — think of as a perfect meal.
This is a classy take on a restaurant-quality steak dinner, and other than remembering to salt the steak ahead of time (not a deal breaker, but recommended), it’s only 30 minutes from start to finish.
Note these instructions are for a thick steak, at least 1½-inches thick. Thinner steaks don’t need the additional oven-roasting time, and will likely be overdone if they go into the oven after they are seared on both sides.
Here are five things that help make a good steak great, and a great steak marvelous:
1) Salting the meat a day before cooking it draws out excess liquid, concentrating and developing the flavor, and allows the meat to form a nice caramelized exterior. You can salt it an hour ahead too, but the longer time allows the seasoning to get past the surface into the middle of the meat.
2) Let meat come to room temperature before cooking, or the inside will take significantly longer to warm up and cook, and by that time the outside of the steak will be overcooked.
3) Pat meat dry before putting it in the pan. If the meat is wet, it won’t sear well.
4) Use an oil with a high smoking point, like canola or vegetable, to cook steaks on the stove. Butter or oil with a lower smoking point will burn, and cause the steak to have a burnt taste, even if it is not overcooked itself. Butter is a lovely thought, but add it at the end and just allow it to melt in the hot pan.
5) This doesn’t affect the quality of the steak, but turn on the exhaust fan! Odds are there will be a lot of smoke, so prepare by turning on the fan, opening windows and doors as you can, and thinking of this as a test to see if your smoke alarm batteries are still working.
And there you have it. Roast some potatoes once the oven is preheated, add a little sautéed spinach (cooked up while the steak is in the oven) or a green salad, and you’ve got that perfect steak dinner in your own home.
RIB EYE STEAKS WITH THYME-GARLIC BUTTER
Start to finish:
30 minutes
2 rib-eye steaks, about 1½-inches thick, and 1- to 1¼-pounds each
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
The night before cooking the steaks, salt and pepper them liberally, and put them on a plate (if you have a wire rack, place them on the rack over a plate). Refrigerate uncovered overnight.
One hour before cooking the steaks, take them out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat oil in a large skillet (big enough to hold both steaks) over high heat. Pat meat dry and add steaks to the pan.
Sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom is nicely browned, and then flip steaks and brown for another 3 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 120 to 125 degrees F for rare, 125 to 130 degrees F for medium rare.
Remove steak from the pan to a cutting board, pour off any fat that has accumulated in the pan, and place pan over medium low heat. Add butter, garlic and thyme, and stir just until the butter has melted and you can smell the garlic (this will be quick, about 30 seconds, as the pan will be hot). Brush half of the seasoned butter over the resting steak and pour the rest of the butter into a small bowl. Let the steak sit for 10 minutes.
Slice the steak with a large, sharp knife, and fan out the slices on a serving platter. Brush the slices of meat with the remaining melted butter.
Serves 4, generously
—Nutrition information per serving: 596 calories; 397 calories from fat; 44 g fat (17 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 237 mg cholesterol; 880 mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 46 g protein.
—Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.”
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