April 2018

This incredibly old house

VILLAGE IDIOT

Every now and then, I’ll see a story on one of the home-decorating channels about the 13th Lord Pushface, who lives in genteel poverty in Haughty House, a stately 300-room manor in Somethingorothershire.

He inherited the place from the 12th Lord Pushface, who lost all the family’s cash playing craps in Las Vegas in 1973. Lord Willoughby Pushface keeps the place solvent by letting out rooms to tourists and by selling medieval furniture that’s been stored in the attic since the place was last renovated back in 1649.

Italian flatbread that boasts sweet, rich flavor

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In Italy, the word “schiacciata” means “flattened.” A puffy flatbread made with grapes and sugar, “Sticky Grape Schiacciata (Schiacciat con l’uva)” is typically only available in bakeries. But home cooks can replicate the bread available in the their local Italian bakeries by adhering to this recipe, courtesy of Maxine Clark’s “Pizza, Calzone & Focaccia” (Ryland, Peters & Small).

Sticky Grape Schiacciata

Shiacciata con l’uva

Serves 6

Doucet, Fontenot to wed Anaise Lauren Doucet

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Anaise Lauren Doucet of Hathaway and Ethan James Charles Fontenot of Welsh announce their plans to wed in a double-ring ceremony officiated by Father McMillin at 6 p.m. on April 7, 2018, at Our Lady of Help of Christians in Jennings. A reception will immediately follow at Grand Marais Ballroom.

The bride-elect is the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Doucet of Hathaway. She is the granddaughter of the late Herbert and Audrey Doucet of Jennings and the late Alfred and Wilma Ross of Dallas, Texas.

Preparing garden beds for spring and beyond

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Gardening enthusiasts may have been thinking about their landscape plans throughout the winter, eager to once again get their hands dirty with soil. Whether a home gardener is making preparations for edible crops or beautiful flowers, he or she must take time to make the soil amenable to planting. To establish hearty, durable plants, gardeners can focus on three main areas: addressing soil composition, cultivating and adding nutrients.

Soil composition

The power of Twitter

President Trump has a unique power that is not granted to him in the constitution. The power he has is not one often used by past presidents, either because they chose not to do so or because it simply wasn’t available to them.

This power that Trump possesses is of course Twitter.

You’ve probably heard enough talk about how our president often tweets out sometimes outlandish statements in the middle of the night. That’s not what this is about, or at least not fully.

Thought bubbles

WHEELIN’ AND DILLON

Isometimes wish that reality was annotated. By this I mean, I wish when something happens, a visible bubble would pop up and explain the context of the situation or give details as to what led up to the occurrence much like you’d see in a book or in a documentary.

I had this thought yesterday when I was driving down Elton Rd. to go back home from grabbing some to-go queso. A man jerked out in front of me in his car when it was incredibly clear he would get hit if I kept going on my way.

Summer of fun might not be best idea

DEAR HARRIETTE: I wanted to know your perspective on a gap year, or “summer of fun,” when a student takes a year or a summer to relax before he or she starts a full-time job in the real world. I am about to graduate college and hope to secure a job after graduation. Recently, I have been thinking I should take the summer to hang out, travel and spend time with my family and friends. A lot of my friends plan on doing this, so I know it’s common, but I’m not sure if it is the best move. As a businesswoman, what is your take on going straight to work? -- Summer of Work or Fun?, Dallas

Admirers mourn King, pledge to carry on unfinished work

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Fifty years after a shot rang out in Memphis, killing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., freedom rang from the balcony of the Lorraine Motel as a bell tolled 39 times to mark a life cut short by racism.

King died among the most hated men in America, but Wednesday, admirers grateful for his life and legacy mourned his loss and pledged to carry on his unfinished work to end racial injustice and economic inequality

In with the new

WELSH – The board of aldermen here passed a measure to purchase the former Capital One bank building to be used as the new town hall at its regular meeting held Tuesday evening.

The purchase of the building has been discussed for around a year, said Mayor Carolyn Louviere.

LENDING A HELPING HAND

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Students from Ward Elementary and Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School help the Garden Club prepare Jennings for the Cleanest City Contest.