Let the good times roll

Krewe of Justinian King Merritt Chastain Krewe de les Femmes Mystique Lady of Love Karen Barnes

Les Femmes Captain Sandy Franks and Queen Catherine Vanderberry.

Photos by Paul L. Schuetze/The Times

Krewe de Les Femmes Mystique introduced its court Friday at DiamondJacks Casino & Hotel Ballroom with much ado.

Calling itself the "Hot Wave Hotties," the group bowed on stage and asked everyone to join in on the 2nd Line Dance that is so popular at all krewe functions.

The 2008 Queen Catherine Vanderberry was a hottie hit in red with sparkling gold trim and a blue banner, while Captain Sandy franks sparkled in a slim long black dress overlaid with her gold banner.

And Lady of Love Karen Barnes was so excited about her green two piece ensemble etched in gold to give the hemlines and sleeves an exotic leaf effect.

"I ordered it from Africa," said Barnes.

It was stunning.

Other court members: Lady of Art Susie Montgomery; Grace Angel Alexander; Light Wanda Clements; Music Bedgood; Truth Sandy Park.

And, we gotta tell ya — Justinian King 2008 Attorney Merritt Chastain was among those boogieing his way through that 2nd Line Dance.

Havin’ fun!

And, that is what the fab Mardi Gras celebration is all about.

Letter from the Western Pacific

The envelope is bordered in red and blue stripes designating "Via Air Mail."

The six-cent red stamp bears an airplane flying into the wild blue yonder.

The hand-stamped post mark: "U.S. Navy. Feb. 25, 1945."

Another stamp: "Passed by Naval censor," is initialed.

He was aboard the USS Wren.

The letter I came across recently was written in blue ink by my late Uncle Bill Martin who grew up in Marshall, Texas.

Seaman 1st Class Martin served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. (Interesting note: his mother’s maiden name was Wren.)

The two-page letter was addressed to his sister, Florence Martin, who at that time lived in Shreveport but was a prolific letter writer all her life — and showered him with mail! (They were the siblings of my father, the late Robert C. Martin Jr. and the late Frank L. Martin, who was at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. And were the children of Robert C. Martin and Florence Wren Martin.)

With Ken Burns new PBS documentary on "The War", in the news, it had special meaning.

I was born in 1940 and like others of my generation growing up in that era, I never really talked to my relatives — two other uncles also served — or adult friends about their experiences and forever wished I had. (Perhaps we were just too close to it all. For us, it really wasn’t history yet, but veterans were our teachers, car repairmen, store managers, people we saw everyday. Looking back, I can see the effects the horrible things they encountered had on so many of them.)

So, I thought I would share some tidbits from my uncle’s letter.

He was on a ship in the Western Pacific, in an area that stretches northeast from Hokkaido, Japan to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. And although he appreciated my aunt’s letters, it was difficult to write aboard ship.

"We have bombarded the Kurile Islands as far south as Matua with very good effects. So you can imagine about where we are," Uncle Bill wrote. (How THAT got past the censor, I’ll never know!)

Having never having heard of the Kurile Islands, known in Japan as the Chishima Islands, we checked it out. They are in an area that stretches northeast from Hokkaido, Japan to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. They are part of a group of islands known as "the Ring of Fire," because of volcanic activitity. (I wonder if my uncle knew precisely where in the word he was!)

Matua is an island in the central Kurile archipelago. During WW II, the Japanese had an airfield located on the island. During 1944, the Japanese facilities were intermittenly shelled by U.S. Naval and bomber forces, according to en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matua_Island.

The weather had been rough, with waves up to 75-feet, "which is rough enough."

"Perhaps we shall get relieved in a few more months, we hope," he added.

My uncle rarely wrote to us after the war and he died many years ago.

I am sorry I never broached the subject of WW II service. Perhaps he would have talked about those islands in that faraway and remote place. Those battles. And life aboard ship.

And, how it all of it affected his life.

An evening of Indian culture & cuisine

And international crowd headed out to LSUS University Center Sept. 22 for India Night 2007.

It featured Indian cuisine by Indigo Bistro and a program of Indian dance by Anjali School of Dance, Houston.

We are posting here some scenes from the fabulous program taken by Paul L. Schuetze for The Times.

For more pics, go to http://www.shreveporttimes.com/ home page to see an India Night gallery.

Making waves

Jane Crandell-Glass submitted this photo of the T-shirt.

Attention, all T-shirt collectors, art lovers or Japanese fans.

You can wear a great piece of art on your chest.

Feist-Weiller Cancer Center of LSU Health Sciences Center is offering a black T-shirt emblazoned with "The Great Wave Off Kanagawa" by very famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, who lived from 1760 to 1849.

It is a raging ocean scene in blues and grays.

The art is special because it was painted in panels by cancer patients at FWCC. They participated in the Arts in Medicine project and proceeds go to AIM.

Two volunteers completed the Japanese in calligraphy on the painting.

Sizes: Youth large to Adult 2XL.

Price: $20.

Information: Anne Higdon, 813-1423.

Mardi Gras Museum entertaining ways

Photos Special to The Times by Air Force Staff Sgt. Trina Jeanjacques.

The photos: (Top to bottom) 1. Krewe of Gemini Queen XVIII Noreen Dockendorf (left), Bess Elder, Barbara Wynne, Rachel Wheeler and King Gemni XVIII Louis Townsend at Mardi Gras Museum, Bossier City.

2. Barbara Wynne (left) and Betty Bamonte check out a costume on display.

3. Barbara Wynne with Mardi Gras beads.


We weren’t there, but Mardi Gras Museum chief Betty Bamonte e-mails us that Sept. 12 and 13 brought a whirlwind of visits at Mardi Gras Museum.

On Wednesday, Barbara Wynne, wife of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne stopped by the museum. She was accompanied by Bess Elder, wife of Lt. Gen. Bob Elder, 8th U.S. Air Force Commander, and Rachel Wheeler, wife of Col. Robert E. Wheeler, commander 2nd Bomb Wing. The Wynnes were here for "Heritage to Horizons," the U.S. Air Force 60th Anniversary Ball Sept. 12 at Horseshoe Riverdome.

Two protocol officers stopped by the museum earlier to approve the tour and make sure protocol was followed, said Bamonte.

"We had to give a list of who would be at the museum, what type of gift we would give. They wanted to keep it very low key," said Bamonte.

Wynne was awed by the museum, telling Bamonte that it was "absolutely fabulous" (It is.) and that she had seen nothing like it.

She watched a brief video on Mardi Gras in the Ark-La-Tex.

And then — drum roll — royally and glittery costumed King Gemini XVIII Louis Townsend and Queen Gemini XVIII Noreen Dockendor made an appearance.

"Mrs. Wynne wanted to know how heavy the costumes were, how they were chose. She said she was just awestruck by all of the detail in the costumes," said Bamonte.

Officials also told Wynne about the community work krewes do all year.

Before leaving Wynne presented participants a special keepsake, a commemorative coin minted for the 60th Air Force anniversary.

Wynne was most impressed with the museum and Mardi talk.

So was Elder. "When we were here 20 years ago, there was no Mardi Gras!" she told us at a later party.

But the Air Force visits weren’t over. Actually Elder and Wheeler gave Wynne a bird’s-eye view of the downtown Shreveport before heading to the museum.

The next day, Elder and a group of senior officer’s wives came to call at the museum.

For them, there were royalty collar pieces and crowns available so they could dress up the Mardi Gras way and have pictures taken. We say: What a great idea!

Elder was charmed by it all.

As she left, she promised to bring visitors she is entertaining to the museum.

It is a fabulous place. It is worth a visit. And you can rent it for parties galore.

See you there.

Up, up and away

The horizon was hazy this morning as I motored east down Jack Wells Blvd.

The sky was softest blue. Scattered and horizontal clouds were naturally backlit, so the light golden glowed from behind as the sun continued its rise.

As I approached Clyde Fant Parkway, a hot air balloon popped up from behind the trees that lined Red River. Then another and another. Until there were five traveling slowly south along the river corridor.

I was especially interested since I knew colleague Stephanie Nethertan was in one of them.

Turning south on Clyde Fant, I stopped the car as I approached the high rise curve on the parkway and marveled at the sight of the balloons and the sky.

It may sound corny, but it was a spiritual moment.

But, I shivered as I remembered, too, the beautiful morning in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Husband Paul L. Schuetze and his sister, Alice Daniel of Maryland, had left early to go for a balloon ride. As morning turned to the noon hour and they had not returned, I kept thinking in the back of my mind that something was wrong.

As it turned out, though they were safe, things had gone awry.

When they departed, the wind was in the right direction, but after the balloon was up, the wind shifted and the balloon started drifting toward no man’s land. That would be the Rocky Mountains.

"The pilot called the tower at Eagle-Vail Airport, gave the registration number and told the tower they requested an clearance for an emergency landing for two balloons," recalled Paul.

A light moment came when the tower responded: "Well, where are you?"

"We are almost over your runway," answered the pilot.

There was a small private aircraft that had entered an approach for landing, so the tower told him to go around that they had an emergency landing for two hot air balloons.

Although the balloon Paul was in landed with no problems, the second balloon had more difficulty, with the balloon dragging the gondola sideways.

As soon as both were okay, though, the ground crews quickly cleared the runways.

Although relating the incident provides drama — and I was certainly relieved when they did arrive back — it was not as scary for the passengers as it sounds in the telling, said Paul.

"The pilot was thoroughly confident. He explained that a balloon is a registered vehicle with the FAA and if he declared an inflight emergency, the tower has to respond. Apparently, the man in the tower at this airport had never had an experience like this before," said Paul.

Although I did once ride a blimp coming through town — a magnificent experience — I have just never had the courage to go up in a hot air balloon.

But, I do appreciate their beauty.

And, this morning’s scene was spectacular.

"Will you marry me?"

Photos by Paul L. Schuetze/The Times

Lights! Camera! Action!

And, so it was as U.S. Air Force Capt. Joey Libro popped the question Wednesday night to Times Religion Reporter Diane Haag at the U.S. Air Force 60th Anniversary Ball — "Heritage to Horizons."

The formal fete was at Horseshoe Riverdome.

The engaging spot: the celebratory 60th birthday ice sculpture in the foyer.

Husband Paul Schuetze and I had been clued in on the plans early in the day.

Initially, we had difficulty catching up with the two in the crowd of 700, but finally spotted them as we chatted with Times publisher Pete Zanmiller and wife Jennifer. (Libro was waiting for us, too.)

The ruse was that I wanted to speak to Haag and that we wanted to take a photo of them.

So, they paused to pose.

But, after one photo, Libro asked Paul to shoot one of them on each side of the sculpture so it would show up in the photo.

Then, surrounded by friends and strangers, applause and the clicking of Paul’s camera, Libro got down on bended knee. (Oh, it was too romantic.)

He asked Haag to marry him and presented her with a diamond engagement ring.

She hugged.

She cried.

She said, "Yes."

Why, to friends and colleagues of Haag and Libro, the moment almost upstaged U.S. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne (a delightful man) who spoke later in the dinner. He told the crowd that on the birthday of the Air Force, they were going to establish the interim command of Cyber Command right here, a comment that had the crowd on their feet.

How can even a major announcement compete with love and romance and a diamond!

The wedding? Well, apparently they had already discussed it, but it was not sealed with an engagement ring.

"We are thinking July. At Holy Trinity," said Haag.

Best wishes, Diane! Congratulations Libro!

Thanks for letting all of us share this special moment.

Catch the moment. (Go to Photo Gallery and click on USAF 60th Anniversary Ball).

Brunch at Tiffany's

Through the years, Miriam Sklar — and her late husband Albert Sklar — has contributed to many segments of the community in a variety of ways to large and small organizations.

Miriam contributes financially, but also lends her name to causes, serves as honorary chairwoman and attends events.

For her efforts, the March of Dimes of Northwest Louisiana named her the Tiffany Award winner for 2007.

Sklar was ill and not able to attend the Tuesday Brunch at Tiffany’s at Eldorado Casino & Hotel Ballroom where the award winner was named.

But there was much applause when her name was called for she is much loved and well regarded for all she does.

We missed you, Miriam.

Political posting

Guess who is coming to call?

Ann Romney, wife of presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

She will be honored at a by-invitation luncheon Sept. 19 at the Petroleum Club.
The red, white and blue invitations went out in the name of U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery and wife Johnette McCrery and Scott Sewell, Mitt Romney for President State Chairman.

Romney fans will pay $15 to dine with the VIP lunch bunch, say the invitations.

I say: "Welcome to Shreveport, Ann."