One of Shreveport’s most beloved and iconic landmarks is now the centerpiece of an ongoing conflict of interest between nostalgia and facing reality. Fair Grounds Field was erected in 1986 during Mayor John Hussey’s administration after a successful vote on a bond issue to build the stadium. Another bond issue vote in 2019 prolonged the stadium’s demolition when Shreveporters voted no to Mayor Adrian Perkins’ request for $1 million to demolish the stadium. However, in early September 2022, that demolition ultimately began. Friends of Fair Grounds Field, a non-profit formed in 2022 after hearing news of the Perkins administration’s plans to demolish the stadium, immediately filed a lawsuit that month with the city, which abruptly halted demolition on October 3, 2022. Now, the issue has stretched across two mayoral administrations to the desk of Mayor Tom Arceneaux. At this point, the issue seems to be at a sbmag.net | nov. 2024 9 stalemate: the Arceneaux administration has laid out precise requirements for Friends to meet to cease the stadium’s demolition. They will not meet with Friends for any further negotiations unless they withdraw the lawsuit, and they will be taking bids for demolition in the meantime unless those conditions are met. On the other side, Friends wants to meet with the mayor or city council to discuss possibilities for the field and refuse to withdraw the lawsuit because they fear the Arceneaux administration will then bulldoze the stadium.

The situation at hand could be better…nobody wants to see the demise of a Shreveport cultural landmark. Fair Grounds Field has hosted consistent tenants from its inception, in addition to the innumerable high school and collegiate baseball games: The Shreveport Captains and Swamp Dragons were minor league teams (both AA) who competed in the Texas League and were farm teams for the California Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the San Francisco Giants. The inaugural year for the Captains was 1986, who became the Swamp Dragons after the 2000 season, a run that would only last two seasons; they moved to Frisco, Texas, after the 2002 season and became the Frisco RoughRiders. Undeterred, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains began playing at the stadium starting in the 2003 season and played through the 2011 season. This team was not a farm team with the MLB but played as part of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball (who is affiliated with the MLB today). After the 2011 season however, the team moved to Laredo, Texas and became the Laredo Lemurs. The 4,200-seat venue has not had a primary tenant since. After 13 years without activity, Fair Grounds Field is looking the worse for wear. The ruins the stadium has fallen into are shocking (yours truly was given a tour of the stadium last year and was appalled by the dilapidation and squalor) and seem fit only for the stadium’s last tenant and a point of contention in Friends’ initial lawsuit against the city: bats.

These unwanted guests found their way into the stadium by the thousands through cracks and crevices in the concrete and carried with them the risk of histoplasmosis, which is a respiratory disease that comes from inhaling the spores from dried bat guano (another name for feces), which the stadium had a massive amount of and would spread throughout the atmosphere during demolition. Friends contended that the Perkins administration did not do its due diligence in ensuring public safety by removing the bat guano prior to demolition (the bats themselves were removed by a Denham Springs-based company in August 2022, at a cost of $472,806 to the city), an issue that Parish Commissioner (and Friend) Roy Burrell reached out to then-Governor John Bel Edwards over, who then got the Louisiana Department of Public Health involved. That strategy worked: the demolition was halted for a time because of the guano that was still left behind. Today under the Arceneaux administration, proper disposal of the guano will be part of the demolition plans, which the city is now taking bids for. The Arceneaux administration has allocated $600,000 from the American Rescue Plan passed in March of 2021 for the demolition. Bill Robertson is the head of Friends of Fair Grounds Field, and he and Friends have been going public with their efforts to save the stadium for some time now. After filing the lawsuit in September 2022 to stop the demolition, Friends published open letters in March of 2023 and February of this year. Robertson and Mayor Arceneaux met on April 4th to discuss the situation. In that meeting, Mayor Arceneaux laid out his criteria for further delaying the demolition of Fair Grounds Field as per their request and advised Mr. Robertson about the prior contact he had had with a representative for Link Coleman (of UL-Coleman Properties and a Friends member who authored the

public letter in March of 2023) on behalf of Friends during his campaign for mayor in 2022. Then on August 26th this year, Mr. Robertson wrote letters that were released to the media to some of Louisiana’s congressional delegation, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Senator John Kennedy, as well as Governor Jeff Landry, to intervene and stop the demolition of Fair Grounds Field. In the letters, Robertson asked the delegation to verify if the $600,000 worth of funds from the ARP for demolition of the stadium was a legitimate use, which he deems “shortsighted.” He also included the proposed renderings in the letters that Friends is hoping for in conjunction with Coe Architecture International as the renovators of the stadium. The design is intended to mirror the State Fair Agricultural Pavilion and Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox. Christoper Coe, an architect with Coe Architecture, insists the stadium is structurally sound and would be less expensive to renovate than building a brand-new stadium. Obviously $600,000 would not cover the cost of the entire renovation of Fair Grounds Field, but Friends has met with private and public sector partners who say they’re interested in investing in the stadium’s renovation. This would be crucial to the financing and maintenance of a newly renovated Fair Grounds Field, because there is currently no baseball team lined up as a tenant should the stadium be renovated (one of the Arceneaux administration’s objections to their plans). Friends also disagrees with the Arceneaux administration’s plans to expand the parking lot after the demolition of the stadium instead of building a new one in its place; after 18 months of planning and deliberations, the cost of building a new baseball stadium with REV Entertainment was deemed too expensive for the city (at a cost of $115 million in bonds) and the two parties amicably split ways with hopes of future business together.

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Although the science and medical community didn’t know at the time, mosquitos were the cause of yellow fever. 

However, there were observations being made about the worst of the outbreak being near standing bodies of brackish water, ideal for mosquito breeding. 

Shreveport’s Silver Lake and standing water in St. Paul’s Bottoms provided fertile ground. One of the wettest summers on record contributed to a mosquito explosion. 

The daily death rate became so high that funerals could no longer be carried out, and the City of Shreveport buried more than 800 of yellow fever victims in a mass grave in City Cemetery (now Oakland Cemetery). 

For 150 years, those in the mound weren’t named. 

But two LSUS history professors were key cogs in dreaming up a memorial that names 740 of the buried. 

That memorial was unveiled Saturday, October 7, 2023, as a highlight of the months-long commemoration of the epidemic 150 years ago, providing a tribute to those that were previously not memorialized. 

Seven large plaques with the names of the fallen circle a tall gray obelisk on top of the mound. 

“It’s truly wonderful to see such a large group of people honoring a large group of people,” said Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux to a gathering of about 200 at the memorial. “For 150 years, there’s been no dedicated memorial to offer a fitting tribute to these people, and today, we correct that oversight.” 

Religious leaders from the seven existing Shreveport churches and temples in 1873 prayed for the victims amid thoughts of being “united by our humanity.”  

Leaders from the Antioch Baptist Church, the B’nai Zion Temple, the Church of the Holy Cross, the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, First Baptist Church, First Methodist Church, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Little Union Baptist Church, and St. Mark’s Cathedral offered prayers and reflections. 

“The people buried here come from all walks of life – they are buried here without regard to social status, to religion or race,” said Paul Strickland, president of the Oakland Cemetery and Preservation Society. “This memorial honors the people buried here from the 1873 epidemic but also honors earlier victims of yellow fever. 

“There were so many people involved in this project, but I don’t know if any of this comes to fruition without Dr. Cheryl White.” 

White, an LSUS history professor, spearheaded the committee that planned the memorial and the commemoration events happening this fall. The memorial took two years to plan and fundraise and six months to build. 

White said the epidemic was the “most transformative event in Shreveport’s history” earlier Saturday in a symposium titled “Yellow Fever: 150 Years Later.” 

Fellow LSUS history professor Dr. Gary Joiner, who is chair of the history department, led the research to name the souls buried in the mound.

 

Fellow LSUS history professor Dr. Gary Joiner, who is chair of the history department, led the research to name the souls buried in the mound. 

 Joiner used the daily reporting from The Daily Times, a crude 1906 map of Oakland Cemetery, death cards housed in the Northwest Louisiana Archives, and a dash of logical creativity to name about 740 of the approximately 800 buried in the mound. 

He and a group of students started work in 2006 as they mapped out Oakland Cemetery and identified all known persons buried in actual graves. 

While The Times did publish a daily death report, the newspaper didn’t have complete records because the epidemic affected their own staff. 

And because Shreveport, a bustling commerce town, didn’t want to shut itself down at the onset of the epidemic, the earliest deaths were recorded as something other than yellow fever. 

“There was a baby who died because of ‘teething,’” Joiner said. “Another died of breakbone fever, which was a thing but that wasn’t the cause of death in this situation. 

“If you just read the daily list of the dead, you’d be missing tons of people. But there were society columns and other stories that mentioned people dying who weren’t in the official list of the dead.” 

Joiner built a database of those who died – all but two in that 12-week span died of yellow fever (the other two were gunshot victims) – and used records of those buried in actual plots or that were moved to other cemeteries to determine who was actually buried in the mound. 

Dr. Beverly Burden, an entomologist and LSUS associate professor of biology, explains how mosquitos transmit diseases, which are responsible for up to 1 million deaths per year currently. The mosquito-born illness that causes the most deaths today is malaria. 

“A virus lives in the intestine of a mosquito, and that virus has to forge its way out into the mosquito’s open circulatory system and will make its way to the salivary glands,” Burden said. “Only female mosquitos bite because they need a blood meal to lay a clutch of eggs. 

“If a virus has traveled to the salivary grands, it can be passed on through the bite.”  

As bad as the epidemic was, colder temperatures arrived earlier than normal and the “Merciful Frost” killed off the adult mosquito population, which can’t live below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Amid the horrid conditions of the epidemic, heroes surfaced. 

Five Catholic priests flocked to minister and care for the sick, knowing that they themselves would likely catch the disease and die. 

All five priests – Father Jean Pierre and Isidore Quemerais of Holy Trinity Church, Father Jean-Marie Biler of the Fairfield Convent, Father Louis Marie Gergaud and Father Francois LeVezouet of Natchitoches – did die. The French natives’ cases for beatification and canonization were advanced this past June by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and now lie with The Vatican in Rome. 

Five LeVezouet descendants were on hand this weekend to witness the commemoration.

Another hero came in the form of U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Eugene Woodruff. 

The Ohio native was a terrific source of information about the epidemic because of letters written to his mother. He was an Army lieutenant in a blue coat during a tension-filled Reconstruction after a bloody Civil War and was beloved by locals.  He stayed behind to care for the sick when the Army pulled its personnel from the town.  He died in late September.  

Panelist Dr. Jeff White, a medical doctor who is a yellow fever expert, said Shreveport did make public health improvements after the epidemic. 

“It spurred the conviction of the government and the town to create a charity hospital,” said Jeff White, who said Shreveport had no centralized medical facility in 1873. “It’s important to remember heroes, because just as we faced challenges with COVID-19, we’ll no doubt see a pandemic influenza in the coming years or decades.  “In times like those, we need to look back at the heroes of our past.” 

 

MEMORIAL PHOTO CUTLINE: Paul Strickland, president of the Oakland Cemetery and Preservation Society, addressed the crowd Saturday at the dedication of the Yellow Fever Memorial at Oakland Cemetery. The memorial names almost all of the approximately 800 victims buried in the Yellow Fever Mound during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873.

MEMORIAL NAMES: Pictured is one of seven plaques of the Yellow Fever Memorial at Oakland Cemetery.

The post YELLOW FEVER appeared first on SB Magazine.

The call to start the organization was presented to Drena and Guy after moving from their home in Broadmoor Terrace to a townhouse in Shreveport’s Lakeside area. As members of Celebration Church, the couple has been a part of foreign missions in places like Belize and Kenya since 2017. In 2019, the call to serve at home rang. Drena said, “We felt a prompting through the Holy Spirit that our “stuff” and 2,800 square foot home were in the way of our calling. We made the mutual decision to sell our house and give away or sell almost everything in it”. They prayed for direction and were led to Lakeside. Shortly after moving, the couple began volunteering at the food pantry next door. At that time, it was called Changing Directions Ministries and was run by a woman named Ms. Turner. In January 2020, they learned Ms. Turner would be moving out of town and the food pantry would be closing. Instead of letting over 100 families suffer, they decided to step up and take over the pantry. They began serving the community under the name 5 Loaves & 2 Fish in May 2020 and the rest is history. As of September 2023, 5L2F has helped 267 families. They hired their one and only staff member this year.  They began with 5 volunteers plus their 2 kids and their spouses. Today, they have 31 consistent volunteers and regular assistance from other churches and organizations.

The food pantry remains stocked for community families in Shreveport. Though the NWLA Food Bank does provide goods, much of the pantry is provided for through the ministry’s finances, donations, and community effort. For example, Panera Bread in Shreveport allows them to pick up bread on Thursday and Friday nights at closing. 5L2F then freezes that bread until distribution time. Says Dodson, “If someone wants to do a food drive, we ask them to concentrate on supplying food for our homeless bags such as pop-top can goods, tuna packs, etc.” Because of USDA restrictions the food pantry is limited to Shreveport residents. All their other services are open to anyone in need though their focus is the Lakeside/Queensborough area. They offer a diaper bank to help those with babies and toddlers, Bible studies and other groups, and a media center for the community.

Their Christmas Blessings program was born of their obedience to selling their belongings and moving back in 2018. What began as a giveaway on Facebook Marketplace grew into a community mission to spread love. In their first year, the Dodsons and a host of generous others were able to help 7 families. As of 2022, 70 families have received Christmas trees with all the trimmings and goodies and 283 children have gotten presents, stockings, and clothes. The purpose of Christmas Blessings isn’t to take over for the parent, but to empower them. Says Dodson, “They can have Christmas presents under the tree and a Christmas morning experience with their children. The child doesn’t even have to know we were involved”.

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For over 80 years, Bear Creek Smoke House has remained a family affair. Robbie Shoults, the grandson of Hick and Nellie Shoults, continues to honor the traditions that made the business successful. Their commitment to providing top-notch customer service and superior-quality smoked meats has been the cornerstone of their success. The smokehouse boasts a massive 16,600-square-foot General Store, which offers a wide range of unique gifts and memorabilia. If you’re a BBQ enthusiast, you will appreciate the selection of mouth-watering smoked meats and sides. It is a true Texas treasure.

Bear Creek Smokehouse is dedicated to providing customers with top-quality smoked meats and exceptional service. The company is committed to expanding its product offerings and continuing to innovate to stay ahead of the competition. The recipes used by Bear Creek Smokehouse have been passed down through generations, with the present generation adding some new recipes. Over the years, the company has expanded its product line to include smoked meats, cheeses, sausages, and charcuterie. Bear Creek’s menu features a range of smoked meats that are cured with a layer of pepper and smoked using distinct types of wood. The meats are smoked to perfection, resulting in a unique and delicious taste that customers simply can’t resist.

Bear Creek Smokehouse is commemorating its 80th year with a 3-day anniversary bash beginning on October 26th. The event promises to be a delightful and exciting experience, featuring a diverse range of activities and entertainment that everyone will appreciate. Here are some highlights of the upcoming festivities that you won’t want to miss:

• The festivities will begin on Thursday, October 26th at the beautiful Bear Creek Smokehouse, which is nestled on a sprawling 1500-acre property they refer to as “Bear Bottom.”
• Satisfy your taste buds with delicious culinary offerings and enjoy the interactive carnival atmosphere. Don’t forget to meet the animal residents of the property, including Bullseye and J Packley the longhorns, Burrita the miniature donkey, Reba the mini horse, and Vincent Van Goat.
• Prepare to be amazed by the awe-inspiring entertainment provided by local schools’ bands, color guards, and cheer teams. You’ll also have the chance to enjoy live music from some of our area’s most popular musicians.
• On Saturday, the event will culminate in the highly anticipated “All Things Pumpkin” Fall Festival. Indulge your love for everything pumpkin and soak in the seasonal spirit.
• The event will close with a dazzling fireworks display that promises to be a spectacular celebration of light and color.

Mark your calendars and join in the fun at the 80th Anniversary Bash! While you’re at the festival, be sure to take a seat on the front porch and enjoy the stunning views of the rolling hills and livestock. It is the perfect place to spend a relaxing day with family and friends in the peaceful countryside. Come and discover all the amazing things this hidden gem has to offer! At Bear Creek Smokehouse, they are thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the community and customers. This is an event you won’t want to miss! 

www.bearcreeksmokehouse.com 

“Come ready to have a good time and bring your family. It’s going to be an incredible three-day event and we promise you won’t leave hungry!” – Robbie Shoults

The post Bear Creek Smokehouse – 80th Anniversary Bash appeared first on SB Magazine.

The Krewe of Highland will begin a massive undertaking to beautify Highland Park and improve drought-ridden neighborhood medians. Along with ornamental bushes and maintenance-free groundcovers, over three-hundred fruit trees will be planted to revitalize Highland Park. The project couldn’t be more timely. The first part of the beautification plan, starting now, will be the controlled removal of dead and infected plants and trees scorched by summer heat. Replacement trees and plants are sorely needed, and the Krewe has a plan to keep them growing for generations.

To accomplish this massive feat spanning the Highland, South Highland, and Madison Park neighborhoods, the Krewe is collaborating with community partners and volunteers, including Smith’s Lawn and Landscape, Mayor Arceneaux’s office, Caddo Parish, Shreveport Public Assembly & Recreation (SPAR), and Boy Scouts of America Troop 15. Residents have also jumped on board to express their planting preferences and interest to adopt their local median improvements.

In addition to beautifying Highland Park, the targeted neutral ground areas, from north to south, include:

• The triangle at Marshall Street and Gilbert Drive
• Boulevard Street between Southern and Fairfield Avenues
• Robinson Place between Fairfield and Line Avenues
• Pinehurst Boulevard at Robinson Place 
• Columbia Street between Thornhill and Line Avenues
• Kings Highway at Creswell Avenue
• Linden Street at Wheeless Avenue and the circle
• Madison Park Boulevard traffic circle 
• Slattery Boulevard from Line to Creswell Avenues and Gilbert Drive to Madison Park Boulevard
• Gilbert Drive and Ockley Drive at the Bayou Pierre bridge 

District 4 Commissioner and funding sponsor John-Paul Young has worked closely with the Krewe and landscape architects to maximize the project’s impact, especially on Highland Park. Highland Park’s revitalization is designed to allow healthy, free eating choices for all who choose to utilize the neighborhood park. Terraforming will be done in the park to ensure the project’s hundreds of fruit trees, including pear, fig, plum, and apple, will supply nourishing harvests.

To help the plantings flourish, Boy Scout Troop 15 will lend a lot of hands. The historic troop, nearly as old as the Boy Scouts of America, is already a great steward of Highland Park, where its Scout Hut is located. Scouts will look after the plantings until roots are well established. The revitalization project is a perfect fit, as Scouting teaches civic responsibility and a love for the outdoors. The Krewe of Highland and Troop 15 have deep roots. Two years ago, they partnered to add fifteen bald cypress trees to Highland Park, which are thriving and providing much-needed shade on steamy summer days.

Maybe as early as next spring, as fun-loving Krewe of Highland revelers toss local business merch, doubloons, and ramen from their eclectic floats, parade-goers will see the Krewe’s first fruit blossoms among stray hanging garlands of multicolored beads and smell the scents of a sweetly promising future in Shreveport.

The post Krewe of Highland: Now Nourishing the Spirit appeared first on SB Magazine.

The Krewe is founded on inclusivity, encouraging originality and uniqueness. They stand by their mission to promote community cooperation, neighborhood spirit, creativity, and diversity. Though there are quite a few Mardi Gras parades and Krewes in the SBC that attract people from all over, the Krewe of Highland parade almost feels like one big neighborhood block party. With the parade rolling right down the neighborhood streets, many residents tailgate in their front yards and enjoy the free show that strolls past their homes. Everyone’s feet are moving to irresistible beats, there’s a cornucopia of Louisiana cuisine, neighbors are bonding, business owners are merrily promoting their services, upside-down umbrellas are everywhere ready to catch beads and other throws. There’s no way that you can attend a Krewe of Highland parade and not feel a sense of community. “We encourage everyone to put on their freak and do some shameless self-promotion. We want locally owned companies to use us for team building and ask them to please throw promotable and usable goods to the crowd”. Highland is best known for its unique throws. Beads are a given during Mardi Gras, but those out-of-the-ordinary throws are what help make memories. 

Paradegoers can expect to see everything from packs of Ramen Noodles to tasty MoonPies. If you’re lucky, you just might catch a neatly wrapped, warm hotdog. Linn states, “Unique throws started with the infamous Jeff Clark, David Clark, and John Head aka Johnny Hot Dog with the “Eat Me” float. The “Eat Me” float, which developed into the Krewe of Bar-B-Que, throws 5,000 hot dogs. Our most special and unique throws are reserved for north of Kings Highway.”

Not long after the Krewe of Highland’s birth, board members Marsha and Terry Millican had the idea of incorporating the Krewe as a non-profit focused on uplifting the Highland area. After running the idea past Linn and other board members, they decided to begin work on developing the non-profit portion of the Krewe of Highland. SBC residents may not realize that Mardi Gras season is only part of what Krewes are all about. There’s more community involvement than one might think. “The Mardi Gras Krewes do more for our city and community to foster friendship and tourism than any other function of the 318. We the Krewes are not a one-hit, one-night wonder”, says Linn. When the board sees a need in the Highland/South Highland/Madison Park community that aligns with their bylaws, they do their best to rectify that situation. They’ve been known to buy trumpets for C.E. Byrd’s band as well as conduct park renovations. For example, the Krewe is responsible for the rewiring of Columbia Park so that The Highland Jazz and Blues Festival doesn’t have to use generators to power the bands. They also placed security lights around the park for nighttime security. Linn explained that they are currently embarking on a quarter-million-dollar Highland Park renovation, a planting project, and sprucing up all neutral grounds in Highland, South Highland, and Madison Park. With Mardi Gras season not far away, they’ll soon be gearing up for the 2024 Coronation where they’ll announce their King, Queen, Captain, and Theme. Anyone who’s interested in being part of this great organization or would like to roll out in the 2024 parade is encouraged to visit their website. Says Linn, “We welcome everyone who loves thy neighbor. Just sign up at KreweOfHighland.org.”

The post Krewe of Highland appeared first on SB Magazine.

SANDY + RIZZO:

The Queens of Glitter

 JENNY GAUTHIER & ANNA DICKSON

BY ELIZABETH BEARD DEAL

[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Two local teachers—and now self-trained resin artists—have taken the jewelry scene by storm. Meet Jenny Gauthier, an art teacher at Southfield School with a background in architecture, art, and design, and Anna Dickson, a Professor of English at Bossier Parish Community College with a background in jewelry sales, art, and what she describes as “a lifetime love of accessories.”

Their jewelry company, Sandy+Rizzo, began with and is best known for the wide-ranging shapes and styles of large, colorful, shiny, dangling earrings—designed and created personally by the two owners with self-selected materials and art resin, mixed in a proprietary design process and hand-poured into specialty jewelry silicone molds. They are always using and testing new ingredients and recipe combinations. They even make their own custom-blended glitter. Anna and Jenny have different art styles, and each poured piece is one-ofa- kind. “It can’t be recreated—it’s art,” says Anna. “We also honor women who have inspired us—daughters, sisters, mothers and friends—by naming styles after them.”

The duo love to create themes for their art pours, inspired by pop culture, film, plays, and even singers. Some of these themes have included the Beatles, Dolly Parton, Wicked, Wizard of Oz, The Greatest Showman, Disney Villains, David Bowie, The Sound of Music, Taylor Swift, the Nutcracker, and the Grinch.

Anna and Jenny had the support of many friends and family who encouraged them and volunteered to help them get Sandy+Rizzo off the ground. The two also made some important business decisions from the beginning. “We branded early,” says Jenny. Having a professional name, logo, and high-quality marketing materials was important to them. So where did the name come from? A few years ago, Jenny was planning to attend an auction party at school dressed as Sandy from the movie Grease and asked Anna if she would be her Rizzo, to which Anna responded, “That’s the role I was born to play! Of course I will.” They admit the characters fit their personalities—sweet Jenny as Sandy and outgoing Anna as Rizzo—so it seemed the perfect name for their company. Their slogan: “Less Bitter, More Glitter!”

Anna and Jenny also outsourced what wasn’t directly related to the creative side and production of their products, like hiring a firm to handle the finances and employees to support the business.

Since they began a year and a half ago (during Covid), Sandy+ Rizzo has experienced a phenomenal growth in sales. The growth of the business has been an organic process, crossing one milestone at a time. Many friends and family volunteered to help get the business off the ground, and the first big achievement was selling at the Red River Revel. “To me, being local and growing up here, the Revel was always a point of acceptance into the art world,” says Anna. They believe utilizing  various sales channels instead of just one or two—art shows, gift shows, wholesale, retail, social media, and the website— has helped accelerate their brand recognition.

Jenny and Anna have captured the hearts of many followers and customers, affectionately known as the Pink Ladies (also a Grease reference if you don’t know), through Instagram and Facebook, always sharing positive messages along with their jewelry. They go LIVE on Facebook (Mondays at 7:30 pm) to chat with and sell the themed earrings to Pink Ladies of all ages who join in from a multitude of states to view what the owners liken to an ‘evening talk show.’ “It really is an awesome community that we have built, and we are so humbled and grateful that women love our art,” says Anna.

“What we realized early on was that we were only going to be able to pour so many earrings, because as an artist, you can only produce so much art,” according to Anna. This led Jenny and Anna to expand the product line to include acrylic options. “They are still beautiful, still unique, still very sparkly, and something that you haven’t seen before, but we’re able to make more of these because we can use our laser cutter,” says Anna. Just like with the resin line, only Jenny and Anna select the patterns and hand-draw the designs. “This is our art and this is what’s sought after,” she adds. Seasonal designs are extremely popular, with hard-to-keepin- stock selections from hearts to Mardi Gras and crawfish to Christmas trees.

While the large earrings are wildly popular, a new stud bar featuring designed stud earrings recently introduced has become a surprisingly instant favorite—perfect for young girls (or women battling masks at the workplace!) at a great price point. Sandy+Rizzo also retails other accessories like bracelets, sunglasses, and headbands to their Pink Ladies. They make a point of purchasing these products from other women-owned brands.

Sandy+Rizzo manufactures and makes all the jewelry, farming nothing out, with help from employees Anna Baker, Kate Wimer, Anne Embry, and Caitlin Lear. “It is very similar to how women used to sit around and quilt. We sit around a big round table and we assemble, so we put together jewelry with our own hands,” says Anna. “We discovered recently that not a lot of people are doing that anymore,” says Jenny. “But we feel like that’s what people really appreciate about it—the art of it. It’s always new. It’s always unique,” she added. (And once it’s sold out, it’s gone.)

As with many startups, the owners’ respective homes were full of supplies, tools, materials, and workspaces. But they have moved into a leased residential space, fondly called the Pink Lady House, to use as their workshop, a space for designing, testing, creating, assembling, packaging, and shipping their products. “We are excited to have a centrally located place that is kid and pet friendly. This way we and our employees can all take care of work and family together,” says Jenny.

Anna and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Harper and Annabelle. Jenny and her husband, Wes, have two daughters, Ellie and Kate. You could technically say the daughters are behind the whole story. The girls, best friends, brought their mothers together, who soon became BFFs too. The business ultimately grew out of this friendship. Anna and Jenny share ideas and responsibilities daily and each one is quick to compliment the strengths of the other.

Jenny and Anna love the fact that they have become role models for their daughters, who see them following a dream and working hard toward that dream every day. “We’re just very proud that they’ve been able to see us build this,” says Jenny.

Right now, you can find Sandy+Rizzo products at sandyrizzo.com, at the Shreveport retail location (The Gilded Oyster shared with Allison Rhymes), and at several local boutiques in the Shreveport-Bossier area. But that’s about to change. Last month, Anna and Jenny decided to try their hand as first-time wholesale vendors at Dallas Market inside the World Trade Center. Somewhat shocked themselves, they sold their jewelry to 22 boutiques across the U.S., seriously expanding their reach!

What do they believe has impacted their success so far? “We’ve always been kind to everybody we’ve encountered including other makers and other resin artists in the industry,” says Jenny. Anna agrees, and adds, “Consistency. We are always focused on keeping the creative design, the quality of the jewelry and our production processes consistent.” Receiving an order this month from a shop on Magazine Street in New Orleans really made the success feel real. “That’s it, we made it! Our Mardi Gras earrings are in New Orleans!”

The old adage says, “people do business with people, not businesses.” You just have to meet Jenny and Anna once to realize how their personalities and business philosophies have, and will undoubtedly continue, to drive their business forward into the future. It appears that the glittery path ahead may be paved with gold…

Photo: Anna Baker[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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The BAKOWSKI BRIDGE OF LIGHTS Isn’t Just Any Bridge

BY ADAM BAILEY

Bridges come in all styles, shapes, and sizes. Whether it is what took place on that bridge, its innovative design, or its setting—bridges are memorable. And sometimes, they are worth seeking out even if you simply wish to gaze on them.

Ask anyone. The bridge is arguably one of the most transformative engineering marvels of our time. Throughout history, they have brought people together to not only close the gaps between physical obstacles, but have helped find ways for people to share a multitude of experiences.

Remember the significance of the Bering Strait Land Bridge? The place most archaeologists agree humans first passed from Asia to populate the Americas. Or, thousands of years later, the newly opened Brooklyn Bridge, where Showman P.T. Barnum led 21 elephants, 7 camels, and 10 dromedaries to prove the bridge’s safety (not to mention its usefulness as a public-relations opportunity). What about that known bridge that cuts your commute in half? I bet it has a name, even if it’s an unofficial one.

Why are they significant? Bridges connect people, communities, and economies—creating possibilities out of impossibilities. They are a powerful creator of opportunity; more than just spans of pavement across a chasm. A bridge is a metaphor that defines a connection through communication and art, binding people together on an issue or idea.

Think about it. The concept of what the bridge is, and what it can become. That notion, too, is constantly changing. Over the last two decades, cities from London to New York, from San Francisco to Singapore, have transformed their city’s bridges into breathtaking canvasses of light illuminating the landscape—reinvigorating new life where these sprawling structures have made their connections.

Now, thanks to a public and private sector commitment, Shreveport-Bossier will join in this up-and-coming architectural lighting trend that will display a spectacular palette of light, art, color, and creativity over the Red River with the Bakowski Bridge of Lights.

In 1994, anyone driving through Shreveport-Bossier got to enjoy the glow of the neon lights that adorned the Texas Street Bridge. Even though many people questioned its cost and scratched their heads over the project, the goal was to create a signature piece of public art that would not only help define Shreveport in a creative, strikingly visual, and very public way, but to help connect Shreveport with its sister city on the other side of the river. Was it successful? Absolutely! Has it not become a lasting image that, even to this day, helped give an identity to Shreveport-Bossier? To many, it became a beacon of pride for the two cities and attracted events such as the Miss Teen and Miss USA pageants, where it was proudly boasted, “Our runway is paved in Neon!”

Unfortunately—due to vibration, road dust, weather, and father time—the lights stopped working. However, a recent renovation project on the bridge is calling for something new; one that has been six years in the making. The Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC)—the “Public Art Arm” of the City of Shreveport— took the lead to re-light the bridge. Now, the Texas Street Bridge—officially known as the Long-Allen Bridge—is set to be updated and outfitted with over 13,000 LED lights that will illuminate all 2,982 feet of the bridge, thanks in large part to a one-million-dollar commitment from Dr. George Bakowski and his wife, Sandra.

“For over forty-five years, Shreveport-Bossier has generously supported my optometry practice, and what better way to bring our community together than with light—uniting people with the civic pride as nothing else will,” said Dr. Bakowski. “It will be a catalyst for community involvement, pride and, hopefully, spur economic development.”

The project to relight the bridge, according to Dr. Bakowski, was his wife’s idea. Over six years ago, when the couple read that the bridge’s neon lights had been extinguished, it was Mrs. Bakowski who said that something should be done to recreate a sense of civic pride for both Shreveport and Bossier City. “George and I are glad to bring this project to light,” says Mrs. Bakowski. “The aim is to not only showcase the great work of art to those traveling daily on I-20, but it will transform the landscape of the Red River and unite the communities and economic development within both Shreveport and Bossier City. Our hope is that this is the first step in incentivizing others to contribute to a new era of vitality for our area of northwest Louisiana and help create a symbol of vision for the community.”

Along with Bakowski’s donation, the City of Shreveport, the City of Bossier City, the Red River Waterway Commission, and the Louisiana Public Service Commission committed funding for the road lighting and the installation of the new lights. Other project donors were the Downtown Development Authority and Will Atkins who are supporting the programming and maintenance of the bridge. Furthermore, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC) has enlisted a team of local artists, designers, and IT professionals to create a state-of-the-art bridge lighting system. SRAC is counting on this team to commit to using the project as a pipeline for training artists, both young and old, to be able to add coding (and other technical skills) to their professional art careers.

“Shreveport is alight with creativity, talent, and public-private cooperation,” said SRAC Executive Director Pam Atchison. “The Bakowski Bridge of Lights is going to astound people with its interactive and constantly morphing colors, shapes, and forms. It will be a show-stopping statement on the skyline of our two cities, all designed by local artists, both young and old, and programmed by IT professionals—all from right here in northwest Louisiana.”

Everyone—from professionals to kids to newlyweds to all those in between—will be able to contribute to its success.

To begin, William Joyce will showcase his light show at the grand opening, which will include choreographed music and fireworks that culminate in a crescendo of music and energy. According to Joyce, “It will be like nothing I have ever done before—a fundamental shift in our skyline, turning the bridge into a light sculpture in a dynamic, ever-changing way and pushing technology as far as we can push it to see what we can accomplish. It’s going to be the heartbeat that courses life between our two cities!”

Keith Hanson, Chief Technology Officer, and Smart Cities Director for the City of Shreveport, alongside SRAC’s artist-in-residence, will collaborate all the primary IT-professional programming for the bridge. Hansen stated he is excited about multiple opportunities afforded by both artists and IT professionals and thinks the opportunity will create a new movement within the city. “This work is a cool blend of the ideas and skills of technologists and artists. I will also have the opportunity to mentor young minds in art and technology to hopefully catapult them into a new career,” said Hanson.

The general public, too, will be able to purchase bridge lighting designs for celebrations, special occasions, and announcements, and specific lighting programs can feature an assortment of causes such as Breast Cancer and AIDS Awareness. Riverfront venues such as the Sci-Port rooftop and the Shreveport Aquarium patio (now heated, cooled, and covered) have developed special packages for weddings, baby gender reveals, anniversaries, etc. These events can include a custom-designed light show for the special occasion.

The bridge lights can also be programmed to welcome visitors to conventions, announce major community events such as the Independence Bowl, the Bass Pro Classic Tournament, Mudbug Madness, and the Red River Revel. Stacy Brown, President and CEO of the Shreveport/Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, believes the bridge will “provide an iconic landmark Testing the lights. Photo: SRAC that ties Shreveport and Bossier City together in a way that resonates with residents and visitors. It will also be a unique tool to entice conventions and events to northwest Louisiana with the opportunity to customize the lights to showcase their events.”

Furthermore, starting in June 2022, the first Friday of every month on alternating sides of the river, there will be parties under the bridge with an arts market, street performers, and food trucks. Students from Southern University at Shreveport, Bossier Parish Community College, Caddo Parish Public Schools, and the VOA Lighthouse Afterschool Program plan to create light shows. The bridge, needless to say, will be constantly changing to be the best thing to experience this year.

Just ask anyone involved. They all believe it will be more than just a visual feast. It will be a living, moving example of how art can help transform a city—on many fronts—and it will certainly illuminate the importance of public art, in general. In an era where traditional funding, respect, and attention to gutsy creative endeavors seem to have waned dramatically, shifting to the more distracting fancies found in the babble of Facebook updates, Twitter spawns, or the empty mental calories found in watching TikTok videos—The Bridge of Lights has all the makings to be a remarkable concept.

Here are a few reasons worth noting.

First, public art has come a long way from granite statues of men in city parks. And it’s not just about the scale of something like the Bridge of Lights. It’s what technology has made possible— art that’s dynamic, that shifts mood and shape, and sometimes augments reality. To put it simply, this bridge can create connections—literally and metaphorically. Much like a campfire stimulates conversation and participation from those surrounding it, the Bridge of Lights will be doing something similar. And while it doesn’t hurt that it’s eye-catching— from many points on both sides of the Red River—the added perk is that you will be able to connect with somebody next to you who is also experiencing the same thing you are. It definitely will be a focal point in which people can gather around.

Beyond ‘connection,’ the work unites art with technology. And if there’s one thing Shreveport-Bossier understands— especially considering SRAC’s involvement—it’s “art” and “techy” things.

Finally, there’s the economic boost— the work is bound to lure travelers near and far into the area. While many upcoming, high-profile, events such as Mudbug Madness will attract swarms of visitors to downtown, many will flock to various points of interest on both sides of the river for the lone purpose to experience the bridge.

According to Pam Atchison, a tool SRAC plans to use to help measure economic impact is called the Signify Social Media app, which tracks where “Bakowski Bridge Lights” chatter originates. “For example, we will know when someone makes an Instagram post from the Jack Binion’s restaurant at the Horseshoe Casino, or posts on Facebook from the Louisiana Boardwalk. This information will be shared with the area businesses so that they may consider advertising campaigns.” Atchison believes the bridge will funnel new economic benefits into the local economy for years to come.

The bottom line is, The Bridge of Lights can be used as a model for how other cities can become more inventive with their infrastructure and public art. There can be little question that digital technology is now the driver, in not just how we interact with our environment, but also in how we view it. And whether its method is to enhance the world around us or to change entirely how it appears, this is where public art is headed. It will be a catalyst indeed. With that being said …light it up!

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