Business News Business News - New Orleans City Business

April/May 2010
Y o u r B u s i n e s s & L i f e s t y l e M a g a z i n e
Mandeville engineer
makes waves
detecting tsunamis
Page 41
Recipes:
Pearls of wisdom
for oyster lovers
How parish
stimulus
projects are
easing daily
commutes
Your Health:
The thick
and thin
of ‘normal
weight
obesity’
Business News
Why St. Tammany boasts
twice the national average
in gym memberships
Page 18

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What’sInside
A p r i l / M a y 2 0 1 0
FEATURES
Wings of change
Businesses and conservationists forge an unlikely
partnership to protect an endangered woodpecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Have roads, will travel
An injection of $28 million in stimulus projects
is easing congestion in St. Tammany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Creative side
With plans for an I.P. North facility, a startup hub taps
into the North Shore for a new crop of entrepreneurial talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Force of nature
How a Mandeville ocean engineer plays a critical role
in detecting tsunamis worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
NORTH SHORE BUSINESS
13
On the cover: Manuel Perez de la Mesa, CEO of Pool Corp., at his Covington home.
Photo by Frank Aymami
22
52
NORTH SHORE FACES
Around the Parish
People moving up, events,
ribbon cuttings and
more who’s who . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Last Word
Ivan Miestchovich, UNO Institute
for Economic Development
and Real Estate Research director . . . . . . . 52
Home and Garden
Pool companies enter this year’s swim season with
cautious optimism after taking a dive last year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Real Estate
Stars align for St. Tammany home sales to rise, real estate experts say . . . . . . . . . 16
Health Care
A North Shore Report analysis finds that St. Tammany boasts
twice the national average in gym memberships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
List: Acute Care Hospitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
NORTH SHORE LIVING
Window Shopping
Great finds for getting back to the garden . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Off the Menu
P&J Oyster progeny shells out pearls
of wisdom from her family cookbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Favorite Spaces
A handsome trophy room creates
a Sportsman’s Paradise for a Mandeville family . . . . . . . 24
Your Health
A Mayo Clinic study finds that normal weight doesn’t preclude obesity . . . . . . . . . . 26
IN EVERY ISSUE
21
From the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Go.See.Do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Shorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
April/May 2010 3

L O U I S I A N A S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y
Ranked 26 th
Nationally by Forbes!*
*among public universities for return on investment
STAFF QUESTION
What is the best April Fool’s joke
you’ve seen or pulled off
April/May 2010
Flores MBA Pro gram
Return On YOUR Investment
Publisher: Lisa Blossman
CityBusiness Publisher and President: D. Mark Singletary
CityBusiness Managing Editor: Greg LaRose
Open House · 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4, 2010
LSU Flores MBA Office · LSU Campus
3176 Patrick F. Taylor Hall
Info. Session · 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
2147 Patrick F. Taylor Hall
LSU Campus · Baton Rouge
mba.lsu.edu 225-578-8867
“The Finest Authentic
Italian Cuisine on the Northshore!”
EDITORIAL
Editor: Autumn C. Giusti
Art Director: Lisa Finnan
Associate Editors: Renee Aragon Dolese
Christian Moises
Deon Roberts
Staff Writers: Richard A. Webster
Ben Myers
Jennifer Larino
David Muller
Market Researcher: Jennifer Nall
Contributing Writers: Emilie Bahr
Ryan Chatelain
Alex Borges
Diana Chandler
I’m thinking
Ariella Cohen
about pulling one
Christine Fontana
on my job this
Craig Guillot
year by calling
Lee Hudson
in dead that day.
Suzy Kessenich
Jana Mackin
Art Assistant: Alex Borges
Photographer: Frank Aymami
Contributing Photographer: Russell Pintado
ADVERTISING
Advertising Executives: Cassie Foreman,
Jaclyn Raymond
PRODUCTION
Production Manager: Julie Bernard
Pre-press Manager: Shelley Costa
Art and Production Coordinator: Samantha Verges
ADMINISTRATION
Director of Operations: Gina Brignac
Office coordinator: Marilyn Miller
CIRCULATION
Richard A.
Webster
I have never seen
an April Fool’s joke.
On that terrifying
day of pranks and
shenanigans, I
lock myself in a
windowless room
with a bottle of
tequila and a
compound bow,
ever vigilant and
on guard against
palm shockers and
whoopee cushions.
Gina Brignac
My son moved his
friend’s car from its
parking spot at school
without him knowing.
His friend freaked out
thinking it was stolen.
Circulation Manager:
Joseph Owens
The entire contents of this magazine are copyrighted by NOPG, LLC, 2003, with all rights reserved. Reproduction
or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited.
North Shore Report (USPS #28) is published monthly by NOPG LLC,
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executive vice president and chief financial officer; Mark Stodder, vice president newspapers.
4 April/May 2010

from the publisher
Lisa Blossman
Leadership in Law honors Covington attorney
CityBusiness held the sixth annual Leadership in Law event March 16 at the New Orleans Museum of Art. North
Shore attorney Rykert Toledano was one of the honorees. Visit our Web site, www.neworleanscitybusiness.com to
view a copy of the event program by clicking on Events on the toolbar.
RYKERT TOLEDANO
Position: Toldeano & Herrin senior partner
Age: 62
Family: wife, Lacey; sons, Reagan and Rykert III; stepdaughters
Lindsay and Jaclyn; grandson, Vince, 2
Education: bachelor’s degree in business administration,
Louisiana State University; juris doctor, LSU Paul M. Hebert
Law Center
As an active civic leader on the North Shore for more than 35
years, Rykert Toledano has a reputation in Covington as a tenacious
litigator.
In one instance, after he successfully litigated against a
businessman in a legal dispute, the man later approached
him and hired Toledano as his personal attorney.
“He said I was the first person to ever beat him and he wanted
me as his attorney from there on out. He and I became good
friends and remained so until the day he died,” says Toledano,
who is the senior partner at Toledano & Herrin and focuses on
construction, personal injury, domestic and business law.
Whereas many attorneys find and hone niches, Toledano
finds a great passion in practicing many areas of the law.
“I like the fact that there is a tremendous amount of variety
in it. Every day there is a new challenge, and I get to learn
something different,” Toledano says. “I truly like helping people
and creating solutions for their problems.”
Toledano has tried a number of cases over the years and
has represented clients such as the St. Tammany West
Chamber of Commerce, Crescent City Construction Inc., Bank
of Hammond and Mississippi Valley Silica Co.
One of his most memorable and notable cases is what is
referred to as the “Oxlot case” in Covington. Spread out during
the late 1980s and early 1990s, the case involved the
encroachment of private businesses on public spaces and
parks. It had become a hotly contested issue, and Toledano
filed suit on behalf of Covington to tear down the structures
and return the property to the public.
“We litigated that case for a few years and finally prevailed.
Everyone acknowledges that it has been a great thing
for Covington and those squares have been accelerators of
commerce,” he says.
Before joining Anderson, Toledano & Courtney (the successor
to his current firm), Toledano served as a Covington city
attorney and city judge for 17 years. He also has served as an
officer or president for a number of North Shore associations
including the Covington and St. Tammany Bar associations,
Greater Covington Chamber of Commerce and the St.
Tammany Economic Development Foundation.
Toledano is also one of the founding fathers of the Three
Rivers Art Festival in Covington.•
— Craig Guillot
Lisa Blossman, publisher of North Shore Report and associate publisher/senior vice president of CityBusiness, can be reached at (504) 293-9226 or at lisa.blossman@nopg.com.
Bruises What bruises
An interview with Dr. Holmquist Healthcare,
LLC founder Barbara Cranner
What is Bruise Relief ®
Mrs. Cranner: Bruise Relief ® is a Patent-pending,
topical all-natural formula
that virtually eliminates bruising.
How does it work
Mrs. Cranner: Bruises occur when
broken capillaries beneath our skin leak blood and “pool”.
The emollients and vitamins in Bruise Relief super-hydrate
the skin and quickly penetrate directly into the area and
prevent the pooling.
Who uses it
Mrs. Cranner: Gentle and fragrance-free, it’s safe and
effective for all ages and skin types, but we see most of the
excitement about the product coming from Seniors, especially
those with medication-related bruising
What’s in it
Mrs. Cranner: The ingredients are simple by design – water,
glycerin, Vitamin E oil, Evening Primrose oil and a thickener
know as carbomer. And they’re not known to interfere with
any medications.
To find out more about
Bruise Relief ® , read
user reviews or find a
retailer near you, just
visit Bruise Relief.com
®
Dr. Holmquist Healthcare
Mandeville, LA 70471
866-844-4734
BruiseRelief@drholmquist.com
bruiserelief.com
Available at:
April/May 2010 5

HE KNOWS THAT A GREAT MEAL
TAKES MORE THAN A GREAT MEAL.
6 April/May 2010

from the editor
Autumn C. Giusti
Quality schools mean less worry for North Shore families
Middle-class families haven’t abandoned the
New Orleans area: They’ve just moved to the
North Shore.
Talk to enough young parents in St.
Tammany Parish, and you’ll hear the same story:
They grew up on the South Shore until they had
kids, but once it came time to consider schools
they moved across the lake.
That’s because on the North Shore, parents
don’t have to choose between education and
quality of life. They can have both.
Access to quality public schools and a moderately
priced housing stock can make or break
the family budget, which makes St. Tammany
Parish appealing to young families. A family of
four could easily save in excess of $10,000 a year
by living on the North Shore.
First, many North Shore families take advantage
of St. Tammany’s high-quality public
school system. Tuition for two children at a
moderately priced private school is about
$8,000 a year. That cost savings makes a big difference
when it comes time to pay the mortgage.
In addition to a free education, St. Tammany
families also have access to lower-priced homes.
Compared to the East Bank of Jefferson
and Orleans parishes, St. Tammany homes
cost up to $78,019 less, according to January
statistics from the Gulf South Real Estate
Information Network.
During that month, homes on average sold
for $220,628 in West St. Tammany and
$163,183 in East St. Tammany.
Meanwhile, homes went for $236,433 on
the East Bank of Jefferson and $220,628 on the
East Bank of Orleans.
North Shore homebuyers also get more
house for their money, judging from a review of
real estate listings on the New Orleans
Metropolitan Association of Realtors’ Web site.
In St. Tammany Parish, $250,000 affords a
four-bedroom, three-bathroom home with
2,457 square feet of living space, on average.
Pay that same amount in Orleans or Jefferson,
and you lose a bedroom. In Orleans, you also give
up 233 square feet. In Jefferson you’d lop off 395
square feet and one of the bathrooms.
The numbers tell only part of the story. Many
of the homes in St. Tammany are less than 10
years old, which means there’s less need for costly
renovations and repairs. The houses are also
on larger lots with big yards. And you can’t put a
price on quiet, safe neighborhoods.
Finding a comparable house on the South
Shore could easily add $50,000 to $100,000
to the price.
Between work, bills and the endless responsibilities
that come with raising children, young
families have enough to worry about.
Living on the North Shore means not having
to add schools and quality of life to those
concerns.•
North Shore Report Editor Autumn C. Giusti
can be reached at (504) 293-9253 or at
autumn.giusti@nopg.com.
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April/May 2010 7

DILLARD UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS BUILDING
MADISON MADISON INTERNATIONAL
WITH SIZELER THOMPSON BROWN ARCHITECTS, DESIGN
construction
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engineering
steel
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service
A p r i l / M a y
GRILL ... The Rotary Club of Slidell, the
Slidell Noon Lions and WYES public television
host the Slidell BBQ Challenge
from noon to 9 p.m. April 2 and from 7
a.m. to 9 p.m. April 3 on First Street in
Olde Towne Slidell. Admission is free.
For more information or to register, call
643-6863, e-mail arnoldking@att.net or
visit www.labbq.org/slidell.
NETWORK ... The Mandeville-Covington
Christian Women’s Connection hosts the
Spring into Summer networking luncheon
from 11 a.m. to noon April 14 at
Benedict’s Restaurant, 1144 N. Causeway
Blvd. in Mandeville. Kerrie Oles of
Stonecroft Ministries will speak at the
event, which will raise money for the
Fairhaven Children’s Home of Covington.
Admission is $18. For reservations, call
893-7762 or 674-5093.
Use it to:
-hunt for new business
-enhance existing data
-supplement job search
-raise funds
...and much more!!!
To order your
Electronic Version of the
2009-2010 Book of Lists
contact
DANI MATTEK
(504) 293-9724
dani.mattek@nopg.com
FLOAT ... The inaugural Greater New
Orleans International Dragon Boat
Festival takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5
p.m. April 17 on the Tchefuncte River
in Madisonville. The event features a
dragon boat race, vendors and exhibits.
Admission is free. For more information
or to register, call (416) 962-8899, e-
mail info@gwndragonboat.com or visit
www.gwndragonboat.com.
PEEL ... The Hospice Foundation of the
South holds its Seventh Annual Crawfish
Cook-Off from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 17 at
Fritchie Park, 105 Robert Blvd. in Slidell.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door
and free for children ages 12 and younger.
For more information, call 643-5470 or visit
www.hospicefoundationofthesouth.org.
8 April/May 2010

EXCHANGE IDEAS ... The East St.
Tammany Chamber of Commerce holds
its Fourth Friday Breakfast with Slidell
Mayor Ben Morris at 8 a.m. April 23 at
Pinewood Country Club, 400 Country
Club Blvd. in Slidell. The cost is $20 for
members and $30 for nonmembers. Doors
open at 7:30 a.m. for networking. For more
information or to make reservations, call
643-5678 or e-mail kay@estchamber.com.
BE ENTERTAINED ... Slidell Little
Theatre holds its production of the musical
“Ragtime” April 23 through May 16 at
2024 Nellie Drive in Slidell. Performances
will be at 8 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m.
Sundays, except for April 25. Tickets are
$19 for adults and $12 for children. For
more information or to buy tickets, call 641-
0324 or visit www.slidelllittletheatre.org.
EXHIBIT ... The St. Tammany West
Chamber holds its annual Business EXPO
from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 28 at the
Castine Center, 63350 Pelican Blvd. in
Mandeville. The event features more than
100 business exhibit booths. Admission is
free. For more information, call 892-3216 or
visit www.sttammanychamber.org.
LAUGH ... Playmakers Theatre holds its
production of the comedy “Over the River
and Through the Woods” May 7-23 at
19106 Playmakers Road in Performances
are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m.
Sundays, except for May 9. Tickets are $15
for adults and $10 for students. For more
information or to buy, call 893-1671 or visit
www.playmakersinc.com.
JAM ... The city of Slidell holds its Bayou
Jam Concert featuring Sgt. Pepper’s Band
from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 16 at
Heritage Park, 1701 Bayou Lane in Slidell.
Admission is free. For more information,
call 646-4375 or visit www.slidell.la.us.
CYCLE ... The American Diabetes
Association hosts Tour de Cure, a
cycling fundraiser, from 7:30
a.m. to 9 a.m. May 23 at the
Tammany Trace Trailhead on
Koop Drive in Mandeville.
The event features 25-mile,
50-mile, 100-mile and family
fun routes. Registration
begins at 6:30 a.m. For more
information and registration,
call (888) DIABETES, visit
www.diabetes.org/tour or
e-mail l.goulet@diabetes.org.
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April/May 2010 9

N e w s , n o t e s a n d
o t h e r m e n t i o n a b l e s
FILE PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Global-E founder Carl Guichard will lead one of 40 teams
competing for the Progressive Automotive X-Prize.
North Shore electric automaker
finalist for $10M award
Southern Living taps Covington
for 2010 Idea House
Southern Living magazine has chosen Covington as one of
two locations for its 2010 Idea Houses.
The house will be in the TerraBella subdivision, a $600
million residential and commercial development.
The home is expected to attract as many as 30,000
visitors when it opens for public tours in June. Southern
Living will feature the home in its August issue, which
reaches about 16 million readers each month.
Southern Living’s most recent Idea House was in
Choudrant near Ruston in
2005. Magazine spokeswoman
Pat Lubking says
the magazine was due to
come back to Louisiana.
“It’s just minutes from
I-12,” she says of
TerraBella. “And there are
so many new restaurants
and shops and things for
the visitors to do.”
Mandeville architect
Michael Piazza of Piazza
Architecture Planning
designed the home, and
Miller Building Co. of
Metairie has started
construction.
Neill Corp. launches sustainability plan
Cutting out waste benefits the environment, but it can boost the bottom line, too.
That’s the idea behind a new sustainability plan being launched by Neill
Corp., the Hammond-based owner of Paris Parker salons and beauty products
distributor.
“When you do a sustainability audit, you immediately turn out waste. So it’s
not just good for the planet, it’s also good business,” says Neill Corp. CEO Edwin
Neill III, who unveiled the efforts in late January.
For instance, the company has implemented a program to track how much
hair color mix goes to waste in its salons.
“Hair color is very expensive. And when a salon washes hair color down the
drain, they’re increasing product cost,” Neill says.
Neill Corp.’s other sustainability initiatives include the use of biodiesel,
green building designs and a plan to reduce the use of resources such as paper.
The company also launched an effort in 2008 to measure its carbon footprint
and plans to expand the program to include all corporate activity this year.
Global-E, makers of all-electric automobiles, is one of 40 teams
worldwide that have qualified for the final stages of a $10 million
competition.
The Progressive Automotive X-Prize will be awarded in
September at Michigan International Speedway. Two Global-E models
have qualified for the competition — the Pulse, a four-passenger
vehicle, and the G1, a parallel hybrid sports coupe.
Designers and engineers with Global-E have worked for more
than three years on the vehicles and partnered with Delgado
Community College and the University of New Orleans. The company’s
educational outreach program is intended to train students who
could become future Global-E employees.
Investors have backed Global-E’s growth from a garage operation
into an international presence. The company employs 70 people
worldwide, including staff in India, Japan, Holland and Italy. In addition
to the firm’s Mandeville base, it operates an office in Los Angeles.
Of the company’s 70 employees, Global-E founder Carl Guichard
estimates that at least 35 live in the New Orleans region. By the time
production revs up in early 2010, following the state’s approval of the
facility’s location, Guichard expects to have 150 employees trained.
FILE PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
10 April/May 2010
Slidell rebuilding city offices
Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina,
an important chapter in rebuilding Slidell
is nearing completion with the construction
work that has begun on Municipal
Building No. 2.
The city of Slidell lost 22 of its buildings
during Hurricane Katrina, which
devastated homes, government buildings
and businesses.
“We were the worst damaged city
from Katrina,” says Slidell Mayor Ben
Morris. “We’re trying to put Humpty
Dumpty back together again.”
As a result of the flooding and wind
damage, many of the city’s personnel
are still working out of trailers. Municipal
Building No. 2 will provide needed office
space as well as space for the city’s
engineering equipment.
The building, which will house the
cultural and public affairs office, the city
prosecutor and the planning department,
will stand at the corner of 1st and
Bouscaren streets behind Slidell City Hall.
F.H. Myers Construction Corp. of
Harahan is the contractor on the project,
and Sizeler Thompson Brown Architects
of New Orleans handled the designs.
Frances Roemer of F.H. Myers
says the building will be roughly
30,000 square feet. Construction
began Jan. 12 and is expected to take
about a year. The total cost of the project
is about $4.8 million. Funds for the
building will come from a combination
of federal and city money.
Japanese documentary features
Covington stem cell bank
Film crews visited a North Shore cryogenics bank for stem cells to feature in a
documentary airing in Japan.
NHK Global Media Services Inc., Japan’s only public broadcasting television
network, visited LifeSource Cryobank in Covington to film a series on regenerative
medicine.
At press time, the documentary was scheduled to air in March.
LifeSource Cryobank is said to be the first private company in the United
States to offer umbilical cord blood banking and adult bone marrow stem cell
storage for therapeutic uses in either reparative or regenerative medicine.
“It’s exciting to see Japan has a keen interest in the progress of regenerative
medicine here in the United States,” says Dr. Gabriel Lasala, LifeSource
founder and medical director.
The specific type of adult stem cells the company preserves is called mesenchymal
stem cells, which have the ability to repair or regenerate muscles,
blood vessels, organs and bone.
Federal Drug Administration clinical trials are under way to prove the safety
and efficacy of MSCs’ usage in numerous therapies. In Covington, TCA Cellular
Therapy is undergoing six FDA clinical trials using a patient’s own stem cells to
treat cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Two of the trials are entering the
third phase, the final stage before marketability.
“Scientists anticipate FDA-approved therapeutic treatments available
to the United States market as early as 2012,” Lasala says.

...and you’ll never want to leave
12 April/May 2010

Business
H O M E A N D
G A R D E N
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Manuel Perez de la Mesa,
CEO of Covington-based
wholesale distributor Pool
Corp., says the economy’s
contraction is “probably at
its low point” and expects
stability throughout 2010.
Testing the waters
Pool companies enter this year’s swim season with
cautious optimism after taking a dive last year
By Ryan Chatelain
Contributing Writer
Perry McNeely Jr.’s phone has been ringing
more this year. He hopes that could
be a sign that the swimming pool industry
is on the verge of bouncing back after one
of its poorest years in 2009.
McNeely owns BC Rock Forms, a
Madisonville company that installs decorative
rocks and waterfalls for swimming
pools. He says business was down about 15
percent in 2009.
“People who have money are basically just
waiting to see how things are going,”
McNeely says. “A lot of companies were
forced to lay people off. … But I think the
worst is over. Already for February, I’ve had
more calls this year than I had in 2009. The
interest is starting to grow. But the real thing is
when they sign the contract and the work
starts flowing. That hasn’t happened yet.
“I’m in the luxury market so when people
are feeling bad, I’m the first to get hit.”
A weak housing market and tighter lending
took its toll on the swimming pool industry
last year. Many St. Tammany Parish business
operators agree that sales should not fall
any lower in 2010, but few are forecasting a
drastic improvement.
“I believe that we have reached a point of
relative stability — and this applies both
nationally as well as in Louisiana — where
the economic contraction is probably at its
low point,” says Manuel Perez de la Mesa,
CEO of Covington-based wholesale distributor
Pool Corp., a Fortune 1000 company
that operates in 38 states and eight countries.
“We don’t anticipate a quick recovery in
terms of the bigger-ticket items like infrastructure.
I think there will be a lag in terms
of new construction. But things are not going
to be any worse than in 2009. But I’m also
See TESTING THE WATERS, page 14
April/May 2010 13

Business
Testing the waters
continued from page 13
not projecting it to be any better to speak of.
“The state of Louisiana will perform modestly
better than the overall U.S. economy.”
Louisiana protected
The pool industry nationally took a 15 to 20
percent hit last year, Perez de la Mesa said. But
in Louisiana, which accounts for about 1 percent
of Pool Corp.’s earnings, the construction
and replacement of pools were “virtually flat”
compared with 2008, he adds.
“I think Louisiana still has the lingering
expenditures related to Katrina and the recovery
from Katrina, some of that funding that’s come
out for the rebuilding,” Perez de la Mesa says. “I
think Louisiana in general, southern Louisiana
specifically, has taken a more pro-business attitude
over the last several years, and that has
reflected itself in job creation in this area.”
Pool Corp. announced in February that
its 2009 net sales were down 14 percent to
$1.54 billion from 2008. There are encouraging
signs, however. As of Feb. 19, the
company’s stock was up nearly $7 a share
compared to a year earlier.
The impact of the economic downturn
could have been worse for Pool Corp., but
most of the company’s earnings comes
from pool maintenance — and as the number
of swimming pools increases, so does
Pool Corp.’s customer base.
“There are over 8 million pools in the
United States, including both in-ground
and above-ground pools,” Perez de la
Mesa says. “And therefore, the ongoing
maintenance and repair of those pools is
again the majority of our earnings.”
Perez de la Mesa says he has not found
that cash-strapped clients are putting off
or performing the upkeep themselves,
although maintenance did suffer in
northern states because of cold weather
during the 2009 summer months.
‘Fewer pools, bigger projects’
Pierre Jeansonne, owner of Pools ‘N Stuff
in Slidell, is optimistic 2010 will bring greater
business. Like McNeely, he says he has received
more calls in 2010 than he did at this time last
year. The heart of the pool season is in the
spring, which was approaching at press time.
“I’m anticipating it’s going to be a good
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Manuel Perez de La Mesa says
the state of Louisiana should
perform “modestly better than
the overall U.S. economy.”
year because I’m being very optimistic and
also because the Saints won, so it can’t be a
bad year,” he says.
Jeansonne says sales of the more popular
vinyl pools were down 40 percent in 2009.
Larger, more-expensive projects using gunite
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14 April/May 2010

EARNINGS DIP
Covington-based Pool Corp., a Fortune 1000 company
that operates in 38 states and eight countries,
experienced a 66 percent drop in annual
earnings between 2008 and 2009. Much of the
luxury pool market took a hit from the recession.
Pool Corp.
Top executive: Manuel Perez de la Mesa, CEO
Headquarters: Covington
Annual earnings:
• 2009: $19.2 million
• 2008: $57 million
Quarterly earnings:
• Fourth quarter 2009: ($13.6 million)
• Fourth quarter 2008: ($14.8 million)
• Third quarter 2009: ($9.3 million)
Source: Pool Corp. (loss)
EXPERIENCE THE JOY
OF NOT PAYING TAXES.
If you’re in the 25% tax
bracket, a tax-free ST
JOHN PARISH SALES TAX
bond yielding 4.079%* pays
as much after-tax income as
a taxable bond yielding
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Municipal Bond
Yield to Call
Callable on: 12/01/2020 @ 101.00
Final Maturity: 12/01/2027
and fiberglass were about the same as the previous
year, he says.
“The construction was slow because the
average person who wanted the average
pool couldn’t get financed,” he said. “But
for the people who wanted the big projects,
it (went) well. So we did fewer pools, (but)
we did bigger projects.
“But our bread and butter is just the average
vinyl pool in the $25,000 range. And a
percentage of people since the financial market
went down had a hard time getting
financed. That was the major factor.”
Jeansonne also says maintenance has
helped keep his company busy.
Marc Pellettiere, a Realtor with Mauti
Meredith Scoggin in Covington, says he is
seeing fewer new homes with swimming pools
and doesn’t expect that fact to change until
2011 at the earliest.
“I think it leans more toward the economy,”
he says. “A swimming pool is a luxury. It’s
not a required item in homes.”
It makes little sense for homeowners on a
tight budget to invest in pools now,
Pellettiere adds.
“Let’s say you have a home that is $150,000
and you put in a $30,000 pool,” he says. “Your
house is not worth $180,000. Your house may
be worth $160,000 or even $162,000, but it’s
not going to be worth $180,000. So you don’t
get your ROI — your return on investment —
when you install a swimming pool.”
In an effort to help drum up sales, business
owners have cut prices or offered incentives.
Jeansonne says Pools ‘N Stuff is offering
buyers free features, such as deck jets and salt
systems.
McNeely says he has seen the price of
swimming pools drop by about 8 percent
since he opened BC Rock Forms in 2007.
“When you’re talking about something
that can cost 20,000 bucks, 8 percent is really
nice,” he says.•
*Yield effective 03/8/2010, subject to availability. Yield and market value may fluctuate
if sold prior to maturity, and the amount you receive from the sale of these securities
may be more than, less than or equal to the amount originally invested. Bond
investments are subject to interest rate risk such that when interest rates rise, the
prices of bonds can decrease and the investor can lose principal value. Any bond
called prior to maturity may result in reinvestment risk for the bond owner. May be
subject to state and local tax. May be subject to alternative minimum tax (AMT).
Municipal bonds may have original issue discount.
Ray Jenkins, Jr
621 B River Highland Blvd
Covington, LA 70433
985-875-0400
Matt Gardner
3701 Hwy 59, Ste. C
Mandeville, LA 70471
985-898-2468
Tammy P Earles
18539 Hwy 22, Ste. J
Ponchatoula, LA 70454
985-370-0646
Debbie P Stuart, AAMS ®
3979 Hwy 190, Ste. D
Covington, LA 70433
985-892-6154
Danny Boudreaux, AAMS ® , CFP ®
2395 Gause Blvd East, Ste. 4
Slidell, LA 70461
985-646-2078
Jerrold A Rabalais
209 West Hwy 22, Ste. H
Madisonville, LA 70447
985-845-1072
Chad W Elter
255 West Florida Street
Mandeville, LA 70448
985-674-0888
Lee R Cosgrove, AAMS ®
2051 E Gause Blvd, Ste. 60
Slidell, LA 70461
985-661-8139
Evan F Gremillion
1200 Bus Hwy 190 Ste. 21
Covington, LA 70433
985-893-4742
Robert H. McCullough, Jr
AAMS ® , CLU ®
2625 North Causeway Blvd
Mandeville, LA 70471
985-809-0854
Jeanette M Sanford
2170 Hwy 190, Ste. 135
Slidell, LA 70460
985-781-7683
April/May 2010 15

Business
R E A L E S T A T E
Move-in ready
Stars align for St. Tammany
home sales to rise,
real estate experts say
By Diana Chandler
Contributing Writer
The environment is conducive for home
sales to increase in St. Tammany Parish
during the next several months, although
sales were statistically down in the past year and
remain slow, according to area real estate agents.
Tax credits for buyers and sellers, less inventory,
the near end of the school year and a recent
study heralding the health of North Shore residents
are all factors working to stimulate sales
here, agents say, voicing tempered optimism.
“The extension of the tax credit has not
spurred the kind of interest we had hoped it
would. We are limping along,” says Ronda
Behrens, a broker and owner of Behrens and
Associates Real Estate LLC in Covington.
“From a financial standpoint, it’s really, really
subjective. It depends upon people and what
they’re comfortable doing.”
An $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time
homebuyers was extended through April, and
other tax credits are in place, such as a $6,500
credit for those selling their homes and purchasing
another.
Behrens says a February report by the
University of Wisconsin Population Health
Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, stating St. Tammany residents
are the healthiest in the state, should help.
“That will at least give us a second look,”
she says. “We have so much to offer in St.
Tammany, schoolwise and trafficwise.”
St. Tammany home sales were down 3.75
percent in 2009 compared to 2008, according
to statistics from the North Shore Area Board of
Realtors. That’s more than the drop in sales in
the Greater New Orleans area, which showed a
decrease of 2.5 percent in the same period.
Walter Babst, an agent with Prudential
Gardner Realtors in Mandeville, calls the
numerical change “statistically insignificant”
and says factors are in place for sales to pick up.
“I don’t think there is a number or a statistic
that is a predictor (of increasing sales),”
Babst says. “I think we have everything we
need to get going. We have plenty of inventory.
It’s well priced. With the revised lending
rules there’s plenty of oxygen out there and
plenty of money to lend. All we need now is
the spark.”
Louis Williams, a Realtor with the
Mandeville office of Keller Williams Realty
Service, voiced more optimism, based on
actual market changes.
“I think things are definitely picking up,”
driven primarily by a decrease in property on
the market, he says.
Inventory dropped by nearly 30 percent in
16 April/May 2010

WE BUILD A BETTER MORTGAGE
“We have plenty
of inventory. It’s well
priced. With the
revised lending rules
there’s plenty of oxygen
out there and plenty
of money to lend.
All we need now
is the spark.
”
WALTER BABST
agent with Prudential Gardner Realtors in Mandeville
the past year, Williams says, pointing particularly
to West St. Tammany. He points to the
Feb. 10 West St. Tammany Real Estate weekly
market report for single-family residential
dwellings, showing 1,035 homes on the market,
compared to 1,391 a year earlier. The
numbers were compiled by real estate analysts
Real Market Reports.
Less inventory stimulates sales, and property
becomes more valuable, Williams says.
“It looks like the trend over the next 12 to 16
months,” Williams says. “By no means do I
think that we are going to see a real estate boom,
such as (post-) Katrina, but several indicators are
leading me to believe that we will be in less of a
buyer’s market and more of an even market.”
Babst says there’s no good statistic to
determine to what extent the tax credits
have affected sales.
“The first-time homebuyer’s credit definitely
helped,” he says. “But there are so many
other factors. Just the general economy and
the credit requirements are so much stronger.”
He predicted sales would have been slower
in the previous year without the credits but
says the economy has forced some people to
delay purchasing homes.
“There’s no easy answer. It’s a number
of things,” says Babst, including foreclosures,
the job market and upside-down
mortgages, meaning a person owes more on
a home than it’s worth.
“It’s still a buyer’s market,” Babst says.•
Becky Gonzalez, Loan Originator - Southshore
Phone: 504-736-5138
Fax: 504-736-5131
Email: bgonzalez@guarantysb.com
Phyllis Montalbano, Loan Originator - Southshore
Phone: 504-841-6101
Fax: 504-841-6111
Email: pmontalbano@guarantysb.com
Pamela Buchtel-Hussey, Loan Originator - Southshore
Phone: 504-841-6108
Fax: 504-841-6118
Email: pbuchtel@guarantysb.com
OUR INTEREST IS INVESTED LOCALLY
Main Office:
Angele Belk, Loan Originator - Northshore
Phone: 985-624-7082
Fax: 985-624-7092
Email: abelk@guarantysb.com
Linda Nichols, Loan Originator - Northshore
Phone: 985-624-7085
Fax: 985-624-7095
Email: lnichols@guarantysb.com
3798 Veterans Blvd.
Metairie, LA 70002
Phone: (504) 457-6220
Fax: (504) 457-6227
Westbank Office:
1800 Manhattan Blvd.
Harvey, LA 70058
Phone: (504) 361-3391
Fax: (504) 361-7480
Pontchatoula Office:
1515 Highway 51 South
Pontchatoula, LA 70454
Phone: (985) 370-7051
Fax: (985) 386-6427
Mandeville Office:
2111 N. Causeway Blvd.
Mandeville, LA 70471
Phone: (985) 626-6229
Fax: (985) 624-5032
Mid City Office:
3915 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 483-7146
Fax: (504) 483-8097
Elmwood Office:
5700 Citrus Blvd., Suite K
Harahan, LA 70123
Phone: (504) 736-5140
Fax: (504) 733-8176
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show you what a local bank can do.
April/May 2010 17

Business
H E A L T H C A R E
Bulking upA North Shore Report analysis finds that
St. Tammany boasts twice the national average
in gym memberships
By Lee Hudson
Contributing Writer
It’s no coincidence that North Shore residents
always seem to be headed to the gym.
Memberships to St. Tammany’s largest
health and fitness centers account for more
than one-fourth of the parish’s population, a
North Shore Report analysis found. That’s
more than twice the national average for gym
memberships.
“The North Shore is a more health-conscious
community,” says Lara Newman,
membership services director for Pelican
Athletic Club in Mandeville.
The numbers back that claim.
There are 60,529 memberships at the
parish’s eight largest health clubs, or 26.4
percent of the population. Nationwide 44.1
million Americans belong to fitness centers,
which is 14 percent of the population,
according to figures from the Sporting Goods
Manufacturers Association and census estimates,
both from 2008.
“It’s great for business,” Will Fussell, operations
manager for Franco’s Athletic Club in
Mandeville, says of having such a large population
focused on health.
In February, St. Tammany got yet another
boost to its health-conscious profile with a
study that ranked the parish as the healthiest
in Louisiana. The report was released by the
University of Wisconsin Population Health
Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation.
“I do think regular exercise is a preventative
medicine,” Newman says.
The North Shore’s propensity for fitness
sets it apart from other communities throughout
the country, says Dion Grossnickle owner
of Cross Gates Family Fitness in Slidell.
“I go to conventions all over the nation
and they talk about the North Shore of New
Orleans being different from other areas all
across the nation. We actually have active members;
they don’t just join,” says Grossnickle.
The big health boom in the 1980s
helped grow the North Shore’s fitness
industry, Newman says, and the business
model for health clubs has been evolving
ever since then.
Cross Gates Family Fitness opened in
the 1980s as a gym but began to adjust its
offerings in the late 1990s to become a full-
18 April/May 2010

service club, incorporating racket sports and swimming.
Cross Gates recently added the word “family” to its name to reflect its
emphasis on total family fitness, another growing segment of health club
membership. Many North Shore gyms provide childcare and youth programs
such as summer and holiday camps, swim teams and tennis leagues.
“We offer everything from cheering to tae kwon do for kids,” says
Grossnickle. “The health clubs here offer so much. It’s a family environment
versus a gym. People want to feel comfortable and want to spend the
day and stay active,” says Grossnickle.
Many North Shore gyms offer more than the standard workout
facilities and locker rooms, according to the data collected in the
2009 CityBusiness Book of Lists. Several clubs feature amenities
such as hair salons, spas, coffee shops, boutiques, free Wi-Fi,
cabanas, tanning and nutritional programs.
“We want to engage (people) in different activities and want them to get
involved. It becomes a place where people will have fun,” says Grossnickle.
Cross Gates Family Fitness recently ran a two-month promotion to
attract these types of members.
“We began a no contract membership for February and March,”
says Grossnickle. “We are small communities within a community.
There are 80,000 people in the Slidell area, and we have 17,000 of
them coming here.”•
ADDED MUSCLE
Memberships in St. Tammany Parish’s largest health and fitness centers
account for more than one-fourth of the parish’s population and
nearly twice the national average for gym memberships, according to
2008 census figures for both.
Facility Location Members
Franco’s Athletic Club Mandeville 15,000
Cross Gates Family Fitness Slidell 14,700
Pelican Athletic Club Mandeville 13,460
Slidell Athletic Club Slidell 12,000
YMCA of West. St. Tammany Covington 2,594
Stone Creek Club & Spa Covington 1,600
Gilboy’s Health Club Covington 650
Holiday Square Fitness Center Covington 525
Total 60,529
Source: 2009 North Shore Report Book of Lists
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Losing Muscle Mass
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Always Stressed and Fatigued
Lost Your Sex Drive
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Accepting New Patients
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235 St.Ann Dr. ✦ Suite 2 ✦ Mandeville
April/May 2010 19

Business
North Shore acute care hospitals
(ranked by the number of licensed beds)
Name
Address
North Oaks
Medical Center
15790 Paul Vega
MD Drive
Hammond 70403
St. Tammany
Parish Hospital
1202 S. Tyler St.
Covington 70433
Slidell Memorial
Hospital & Medical
Center
1001 Gause Blvd.
Slidell 70458
Lakeview Regional
Medical Center
95 E. Fairway Drive
Covington 70433
NorthShore
Regional Medical
Center
100 Medical Center
Drive
Slidell 70461
Louisiana Medical
Center & Heart
Hospital
64030 Louisiana
Highway 434
Lacombe 70445
Northshore
Specialty Hospital
20050 Crestwood
Blvd.
Covington 70433
Regency Hospital
of Covington
195 Highland Park
Entrance
Covington 70433
Southern Surgical
Hospital
1700 Lindberg Drive
Slidell 70458
Fairway Medical
Surgical Hospital
67252 Industry Lane
Covington 70433
LTAC of
Washington-St.
Tammany, Slidell
Campus
1440 Lindberg Drive
Slidell 70458
Doctors' Hospital
of Slidell
989 Robert Blvd.
Slidell 70458
Ochsner Health
Center
1000 Ochsner Blvd.
Covington 70433
Ochsner Health
Center
2750 E. Gause Blvd.
Slidell 70461
Telephone
Fax
345-2700
230-1038
898-4000
898-4394
643-2200
649-8778
867-3800
867-4449
649-7070
646-5915
690-7500
690-7530
875-7525
875-2022
867-3977
867-3938
641-0600
643-7677
809-9888
801-1588
326-0440
326-0558
690-8200
690-8201
Licensed
beds
Staffed
beds
259
259
222
222
182
160
178
178
165
130
137
137
58
58
38
33
32
32
21
21
20
20
10
10
Profit or
nonprofit
Year
established
nonprofit
1960
nonprofit
1954
nonprofit
1959
profit
1977
profit
1985
profit
2003
profit
2003
profit
2004
profit
2005
profit
2000
profit
2005
profit
2003
875-2828 0
NA
nonprofit
1986
639-3777 0
NA
NA
1986
Administrator
Title
James E. Cathey Jr.
president and CEO
Patti M. Ellish
president and CEO
Robert Hawley
CEO
Jason E. Cobb
CEO
Alan R. Cason
CEO
Donnie Frederic
CEO
Richard P. Daughdrill
administrator
Tim Burke
CEO
Michael Pisciotta
CEO
Raymie Hoffman
chief nursing officer
Mike Maurin
chief financial officer
David J. Guzan
president and CEO
Hayne C Beatrous
director of marketing
and public relations
Herman Franks
Jim Bergeron
CEO
Scott Boudreaux
CEO
Scott Boudreaux
CEO
Owner
Tangipahoa Parish
Hospital Service
District 1
St. Tammany
Parish Hospital
Service District 1
St. Tammany
Parish Hospital
Service District 2
Hospital Corp. of
America-HCA
Tenet Healthcare
Corp.
MedCath Inc. and
Physician
Investors
Physicians
with
admitting
privileges
Full-time
RNs/LPNs
142
540/77
301
520/88
248
185/25
277
260/20
279
184/21
193
129/1
investor-owned 25
18/21
RHC 30
40/35
local physicians in
partnership with
Cirrus Health
physician-owned,
physicianmanaged
Acadiana
Management
Group
40
45/3
136
30/2
5
15/15
physician-owned 49
23/5
Ochsner Health
System
Ochsner Health
System
Full-time
employees
Specialists
2,125
118
NA=nort available/not applicable The above information was provided by the individual hospitals. All additions and corrections should be sent on company letterhead to Research, New
Orleans CityBusiness, 111 Veterans Blvd., Suite 1440, Metairie, LA 70005
NA
14/32
NA
2/13
1,287
369
755
262
475
312
401
246
247
180
92
56
150
37
135
NA
82
135
50
25
45
55
189
NA
85
NA
20 April/May 2010

Window Shopping
Garden variety
Local garden stores are making it easy to grow your own
produce this year with an expanded selection of edible plants.
By Ariella Cohen
Contributing Writer
Short and sweet
Wow even the most finicky eater with adorably
tiny tangerines from an equally adorable
tangerine bonsai tree. In addition to its vitamin
value, this miniature fruit tree will add an exotic
flourish to any garden or interior setting.
Bonsai Northshore, Covington, 892-7808; $76.
Green growth
Pick up a Louisiana Green Oval
eggplant starter, and watch the hairy
herb blossom into the meal ticket of
the season. These large, lime-colored
aubergines can be served fried, grilled
or cooked into an elegant tapenade.
The Garden Spot, Slidell, 641-3600;
prices vary.
Rock out
Watch the vegetables grow from the comfort of
an Adirondack rocker made from 100 percent
recycled plastic. This eco-conscious take on a
traditional look is new this season, but likely to
stick around. The Seaside Casual model for sale
at the Outdoor Living Center comes with a
warrantee, making it a good buy for the earth,
your tired back — and your pocketbook.
Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008, $515
Vine ripe
The tomato plant has long been a gateway edible for gardening
neophytes. This year, retailers expect demand for the plant to
grow faster than a cluster of beefsteaks.
Amazing Graces Nursery, Covington, 892-1513; prices vary.
Crunch time
Up the refresh factor in your salads this summer with fresh, crisp cucumbers
straight from the garden. When the kids go to bed, pick a few from the yard
and freshen up a classic Pimm’s Cup with a slice of the crispy fruit.
The Garden Spot, Slidell, 641-3600; prices vary.
April/May 2010 21

Off the Menu
PHOTOS COURTESY OF P&J OYSTER CO.
Oysters St. Claude pairs fried
oysters with the flavors of
Worcestershire, hot sauce,
butter and garlic.
Oyster cult
North Shore P&J progeny shells out pearls of wisdom from her family’s cookbook
By Christine Fontana
Contributing Writer
Oyster lovers now have a compendium
of recipes involving
Louisiana’s beloved
bivalves.
“The P&J Oyster
Cookbook” is a labor of love
for author Merri Sunseri-Schneider, a resident
of Hammond and general manager of P&J
Oyster Co., her family’s 139-year-old oyster
house in the French Quarter that distributes
oysters throughout the region.
The Sunseri family compiled the photo-filled
book with New Orleans publicist Kit Wohl.
“My mom was a writer and a phenomenal
cook, and she collected recipes over the years
and started writing this book five years before
her death,” says Sunseri-Schneider. “She desperately
wanted to complete it. I’m one of
seven kids and we were overwhelmed, but by
chance we met Kit Wohl and it was a blessing.
I know Mom would be proud, and whatever
idea you can think with oysters is in this book.”
“My family devised the P&J’s Bloody Mary
Shooters,” says Sunseri-Schneider of the appetizer
laced with a kick of alcohol. It consists of a
Bloody Mary finished with a raw oyster.
“They are impressive when served in
miniature martini glasses,” she says.
Sunseri-Schneider advises to make sure the
shooters are served ice cold.
“Put the glasses in the freezer just like you
were serving a martini.”
The garnish allows for creativity and can be
anything from pickled okra to a lemon wedge.
The shooters can complement a brunch
and also can be made without alcohol by using
Virgin Mary mix sans vodka.
Baked oysters are the centerpiece of Oyster
Biscuit Pudding from Chef Chris Lusk of
Café Adelaide in New Orleans.
“This is absolutely delicious, and when you
put this dish in the ramekins it looks extremely
classy,” says Sunseri-Schneider.
Crumbled buttermilk biscuits are used in
the recipe, and either prepared biscuits or a
favorite biscuit recipe work.
“It’s sophisticated but very simple,” says
Sunseri-Schneider.
Cheese is browned on top, and the classic
pairing of the oysters with Pernod or
Herbsaint ties together the flavors.
Meyer lemons, paprika, Worcestershire, hot
sauce, butter and garlic combine with fried oysters
in Oysters St. Claude by Chef Ken Smith of
Upperline restaurant in New Orleans.
“This is hands down one of my favorite
recipes,” says Sunseri-Schneider. “This is phenomenal.”
She suggests draining the oysters of their
liquor and refrigerate or freeze the juice for
later use.
“Oyster liquor is a divine thing, a secret
ingredient that adds distinction to recipes;
there’s something very special about it, unlike
clam juice or seafood stock.”
When frying oysters, look for bubbles to
form on the eye of the oyster, Sunseri-
Schneider says.
“That’s when they’re done and I pull them
out.” Inexpensive wasabi trays make perfect
serving dishes for the oysters.
“In other parts of the world, the oyster signifies
status, wealth and elegance,” Sunseri-
Schneider says. “We are very fortunate in
southeastern Louisiana to have a wonderful
abundance of oysters, and we can take advantage
of them in our kitchens. We are blessed
with oysters here.”•
22 April/May 2010

P&J’S BLOODY MARY SHOOTERS
Serves 24
1 quart tomato juice
1 10 3/4 ounce can beef bouillon
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Louisiana hot sauce
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups vodka
24 shucked fresh oysters
Garnishes for 24 shooters, optional (lemon wedges, celery sticks, trimmed green
onions or pickled okra)
P&J’s Bloody Mary Shooters put
a spin on the favorite cocktail,
consisting of a Bloody Mary
finished with a raw oyster.
Mix all ingredients except the oysters in a 2-quart pitcher. Stir until well blended and
refrigerate until ice cold. Fill cold shot glasses, wine flutes or miniature martini glasses
half full, add a raw oyster and garnish as desired. Serve immediately.
OYSTER BISCUIT PUDDING
By Chef Chris Lusk, Café Adelaide
Serves 8
15 oysters
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 medium white onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup Pernod or Herbsaint
1 quart heavy cream
4 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
8 buttermilk biscuits, crumbled
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter over
medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper in the butter until onion is
translucent. Deglaze pan by swirling the contents with Pernod or Herbsaint. Add
heavy cream, mix contents thoroughly, and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Set aside and allow the mixture to cool. In a large bowl combine lightly beaten eggs,
herbs, biscuits, hot sauce and cooled cream mixture. Roughly chop oysters and combine
with biscuit mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste then divide mixture in
eight heatproof ramekins. Top with cheese and bake for eight to 10 minutes or until
mixture sets. A straw or toothpick inserted into the mixture should come out clean
when the dish is ready.
OYSTERS ST. CLAUDE
By Chef Ken Smith, Upperline restaurant
Serves 6 to 8
ST. CLAUDE SAUCE:
4 seeded, thinly sliced Meyer or other thin-skinned lemons (Use peel, pulp and pith.)
1 cup peeled garlic cloves
1 bunch parsley, without stems, chopped
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
12 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Salt, to taste
FRIED OYSTERS:
24 shucked fresh oysters
2 cups corn flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
French bread
Baled oysters are the centerpiece of Oyster Biscuit
Pudding, which gets added substance from crumbled
buttermilk biscuits and melted cheese.
Using a metal blade in a food processor, purée all sauce ingredients except butter
and salt until smooth. Add the purée to the butter in a medium saucepan over medium
heat. Cook and stir until the garlic has softened enough to blend smoothly with
the other ingredients. Be careful not to burn. The sauce will be dark red and thick.
Add salt to taste. Mix the sauce well if it begins to separate. Keep the sauce at room
temperature if using it within three or four hours. Otherwise, cover and refrigerate it.
To prepare the oysters, strain their juices into a container to remove grit and refrigerate
or freeze for future use. Mix the corn flour, all-purpose flour, salt and pepper in a
bowl or medium-size baking pan. Dredge the oysters in the flour mixture until well
coated. Shake off excess flour. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. A thermometer is recommended.
Do not fill the fryer more than half full with oil. Using long tongs, place the
oysters one at a time in the oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about two to three
minutes, being careful not to overcook.
Remove with long tongs and drain on paper towels. Top each oyster with about 1
tablespoon of St. Claude sauce. Serve three to five oysters per person.
— Recipes from “The P&J Oyster Cookbook”
April/May 2010 23

Favorite Spaces
Sportsman’s Paradise
A handsome trophy room brings an element
of masculinity to a Mandeville family’s home
PHOTOS BY RUSSELL PINTADO
Head racks of deer, ram and
other game flank the custom
cypress bookcases in Lendon
and Ashton Noel’s trophy
room in Mandeville.
By Suzy Kessenich
Contributing Writer
The trophy room stands out as a haven for the avid hunter at
Lendon and Ashton Noel’s home in The Sanctuary of Mandeville.
The split-level room is filled with memories. Ashton Noel reminisces
about generation after generation of hunting pictures, featuring
his grandfather, father, wife and children.
“Every mount has its own story. That is what I love about this
trophy room,” he says. “I am so passionate about hunting and fishing.
Growing up on the Atchafalaya Basin, I enjoyed spending family
time together in our Sportsman’s Paradise. That is what this trophy
room is all about.”
The room’s décor is warm and comfortable with an oversized
Cognac leather sofa and chair set in front of a wood-burning fireplace
with a huge elk head rack hung above.
Across the room is a wall of head racks of deer, ram and a gazelle
— all shot by family members, including Lendon Noel and the couple’s
children.
Hunting trophies fill the room, ranging from a wild turkey on the
table to ducks in flight hanging from the ceiling.
Draperies made of golden woven burlap panels hang on iron
24 April/May 2010

DESIGN TIP
A game table can enhance
the sporting experience
of a trophy room.
Home
T r e n d s
Creature
comforts
Create a relaxing space for the avid hunter by mixing amenities with memorabilia
• Avid hunters and fishermen should rely on a good taxidermist to achieve the best results preserving and mounting game.
• Make a trophy room large enough to fill with current and future mounts.
• Incorporate family memorabilia and a flat-screen TV to create an informal, comfortable space for relaxing and
watching sporting events.
• Add a kitchen and bar for entertaining, especially if the room is on an upper floor.
• Personalize the room by filling it with accomplishments, photos and other mementos.
— Suzy Kessenich
rods, giving the room informal flair.
Christina Brechtel of Bella Cucina in Mandeville designed the trophy
room.
“Lendon and I wanted Ashton to have a place in the house to call
his own and reflect his personal taste. With the selection of rustic materials
and neutral tones, we wanted to create a comfortable yet masculine
environment,” Brechtel says.
Salvaged materials bring personality to the space. The room’s wood
beams from a historic brewery in Wisconsin cross the ceiling, and the
wide plank wood floors came from a tobacco barn in the Carolinas —
special finds Ashton recovered when building his home.
The cypress wood bookcases were custom made on site and house
a flat-screen television with theater sound.
The upper level of the trophy room has a game table with a metal
Gothic chandelier.
A bar complete with a kitchen makes the second-floor space perfect
for entertaining.
“We have had many good times here. One particular event I fondly
remember is watching LSU win the baseball national championship
last spring,” Ashton Noel says, recalling the time his friends and family
gathered to cheer on the team.
One of the room’s treasures is a Saints helmet signed by Sean
Payton and members of the team, a token of appreciation from Payton
after he joined Ashton Noel and some friends on a deer hunt.•
April/May 2010 25

Your Health
Thick and thin
A Mayo Clinic study finds that
normal weight doesn’t preclude obesity
By Diana Chandler
Contributing Writer
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Thin is not necessarily lean.
An individual with a normal weight and
body mass index may still sport excess fat,
making them more susceptible to metabolic
syndrome, a precursor to diabetes, heart
disease, high blood pressure and high
cholesterol.
The Mayo Clinic recently confirmed the
findings in a nine-year study of 2,127 normal
weight Americans, leading to the term
“normal weight obesity.”
This is nothing new to Mandeville wellness
expert Catherine Wilbert, a doctor of
naturopathic medicine and author of the
new book, “Mending Your Metabolism.”
“Thank God. What I’ve been preaching
for 20 years, there’s a study from the Mayo
Clinic to legitimize it,” Wilbert says of the
study. “We need to teach our bodies how to
burn fat and keep muscle. The goal is to create
a much more favorable body composition.”
Doctors who conducted the study say
the results lay the foundation for additional
research and help determine trends, but
they should not be used definitively in prescribing
treatment for the normal-weight
obese. Based on the study, doctors predict
30 million Americans may suffer from normal-weight
obesity.
Wilbert’s book sets forth a lifestyle for
burning fat and building muscle, without
dieting. According to Wilbert, the diet that
helped you fit into your favorite jeans concurrently
may have made you fatter.
“Even if you weigh 10 pounds less, you
could potentially be fatter or have a greater
percentage of body fat,” Wilbert says. “You
can eat Pop Tarts and (drink) Coke and be
pretty skinny. But you’ll have no muscle
tone and a lot of body fat. You’ll also have
cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”
Wilbert says the body burns sugar and
protein before fat.
“Fat is the final thing you burn. That’s
just a metabolic truth,” she says. “That’s
just the science of your metabolism. That’s
the way your body burns fat.”
In “Mending Your Metabolism,”
Wilbert recommends starting with small
changes for the greatest benefits.
A protein-based breakfast will stabilize
26 April/May 2010

zone in which a person burns fat for fuel, as
well as the anaerobic threshold, the point at
which a person burns carbohydrates for fuel,
both of which are unique to each individual.
“Fat is almost the most effective thing we
can burn as a fuel,” Quick says. Burning one
gram of fat expels seven to nine calories,
Quick said, while burning one gram of carbohydrates
and protein corresponds to four
to five calories, he said.
“To be an efficient, active person or athlete,
the fuel source is really fat,” Quick says.
“There is a point at which being too lean
is not a good thing,” Quick says, adding that
women should have 14 percent to 20 percent
body fat, while men should have 5 to
12 percent.
Wilbert says body composition is the
best measure of success.
“This (Mayo Clinic) study proves that it’s
not about the numbers. Disease follows the
diet, not the numbers on the scale,” she says.•
SLOW BURN
About one-third of men and women in the U.S.
suffer from metabolic syndrome — a set of risk
factors that make individuals more susceptible to
diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and
high cholesterol. While the condition is more common
in overweight and obese individuals, it can
exist in people who are at or below normal weight.
METABOLIC SYNDROME
BREAKDOWN BY GENDER:
• Men, 35.1 percent
• Women, 32.6 percent
METABOLIC SYNDROME
BREAKDOWN BY BODY MASS INDEX:
Men:
• Underweight and normal weight, 6.8 percent
• Overweight, 29.8 percent
• Obese and extremely obese, 65 percent
Women:
• Underweight and normal weight, 9.3 percent
• Overweight, 33.1 percent
• Obese and extremely obese, 56.1 percent
Source: Centers for Disease Control National Health Statistics
Reports, May 2009, based on 2003-2006 U.S. data
blood sugar and prevent additional fat
storage. That’s because after fasting during
sleep, the body wakes in starvation mode
and is burning muscle, slowing the metabolism,
Wilbert says.
Years of diets high in refined carbohydrates
have set people up for failure and disease,
she says.
“Sugar is the main cause of most of the
diseases and disorders in this country,”
Wilbert says. “If you can fix your blood
sugar, you can fix all these peripheral diseases
that go with that.”
In addition to keeping existing muscle
by following a proper eating plan, an exercise
program can help build new muscle,
Wilbert says.
Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville
provides an innovative tool in helping individuals
burn fat through its VO2 Max test,
which it began offering in March with the
help of Brandt Quick, owner of BQuick
Athletic Development in Madisonville and
director of Franco’s Sports Performance
Academy.
The test determines an individual’s aerobic
base, which corresponds to the aerobic
April/May 2010 27

WINGS
OF
CHANGE
BUSINESSES AND CONSERVATIONISTS FORGE AN UNLIKELY
PARTNERSHIP TO PROTECT AN ENDANGERED WOODPECKER
By Richard A. Webster
Staff Writer
richard.webster@nopg.com
Like a feathered cupid, the red-cockaded
woodpecker has brought together business
interests and conservationists in a
way that until now was rarely seen.
In an effort to save the endangered bird
while at the same time respecting property
rights, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries hammered out a plan with input
from loggers and private landowners, called
the Safe Harbor Program.
Unlike previous programs enacted through
the Endangered Species Act, Safe Harbor
uses a carrot instead of a stick. Instead of
throwing out mandates and prohibiting all
logging activity on land that is home to the
red-cockaded woodpecker, LDWF grants
landowners regulatory protections in
exchange for their cooperation.
“Over the last seven years I’ve been with
the department, since we’ve had Safe Harbor
we’ve seen a change in attitude from private
landowners,” says Eric Baka, the state’s red-
28 April/May 2010

The red-cockaded
woodpecker has been
on the endangered
list since 1970.
cockaded biologist. “Before, they were very fearful to tell us
what they had so far as woodpeckers on their land. But
now they know they can be in this program and they can
get cost share money and get some expertise from our
department in how to manage the birds, making them more
willing to work with us.”
Input from all sides
The Safe Harbor Program coincides with efforts to protect
the red-cockaded woodpecker by bringing the birds
to St. Tammany Parish.
In January, federal and state wildlife officials began relocating
the endangered woodpeckers from throughout
Louisiana to the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife
Refuge east of Lacombe.
The red-cockaded woodpecker has been on the endangered
list since 1970. It is seven inches long with a 14-inch
wingspan. It lives primarily in the southeast United States,
making its home in pine forests 80 to 120 years of age.
In 1970 there were fewer than 10,000 red-cockaded
woodpeckers nationally compared with 14,000 today.
Under Safe Harbor, LDWF inspects a property and
determines the number of woodpecker families living
on it. Landowners agree to manage their forests in a way
that protects that specific number of birds. But they are
not responsible for additional birds that move in and
can request that LDWF relocate any new woodpeckers.
In exchange for managing their forests, landowners can
conduct an appropriate amount of logging and receive
compensation for their management efforts.
“Now the bird is not a threat anymore, and it’s because
of the partnership between Wildlife and Fisheries and
landowners,” says Buck Vandersteen, executive director of
the Louisiana Forestry Association.
It wasn’t easy, however. There was pushback from both
sides, Baka says.
“Some wanted the program to have less leeway for
landowners, and some landowners and others like timber
organizations wanted it to be more of a gimme with looser
regulations,” he says.
In the end, after accepting input from all sides, Wildlife
and Fisheries drafted the final document and said this is as
good as it gets.
“We can’t rewrite the Endangered Species Act which
some people wanted, so we could actually opt out of it,”
Baka says. “Everyone was trying from their perspective
to get the best deal they could get. I’m not bashing anyone.
That’s what I would do if I owned a bunch of land.
In the end there are things in there people aren’t happy
with, but they know that the negatives are offset by benefits
of program.”
PHOTOS COURTESY ERIC BAKA, LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
Forests supplement income
Red flags immediately went up for the timber industry
in 1995 when discussions first began to create a program
to protect the red-cockaded woodpeckers,
Vandersteen says. The initial fear was that the state,
acting in accordance with the Endangered Species
Act, would mandate behavior, set aside large swaths of
land as untouchable and basically ignore the concerns
of landowners.
“We saw what happened out west with the northern
spotted owl and marbled murrelet, where 400 mills
See WINGS OF CAHNGE, page 30
April/May 2010 29

Top: An adult red-cockaded woodpecker is
banded. Right: A woodpecker is protected
in captivity by the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries.
WINGS
OF
CHANGE
continued from page 29
closed and 40,000 people lost their jobs,”
Vandersteen says. “We didn’t want that to
happen to us, and we looked for solutions.”
There are 14 million acres of forest in
Louisiana, and 12 million are privately owned,
according to the Louisiana Forestry
Association. The families who own the land
depend on it as supplemental income, harvesting
the trees every few years for extra money.
“It’s like a bank account you can step on,
pick up and feel dirt on your hands, walk
through it and smell it. And when it comes
time to needing it, you have it there,”
Vandersteen says.
That’s why there was a real fear of the state
prohibiting any form of harvesting because of
the woodpecker.
“These mom and pops, these are folks who
have a lot of pride in their land. And when
someone comes along and says they can’t go
out and harvest that timber to go on retirement
30 April/May 2010
or take care of medical bills or for their grandchild’s
education, they get concerned,”
Vandersteen says. “I am a 40-acre landowner,
and it’s reassuring knowing that if something
happened to my family and I needed money
right away, I can always thin my forest.”
The Safe Harbor program, with its cooperative
agreements, assuaged any concerns and
the level of participation speaks to its success.
In January, Wildlife and Fisheries enrolled
58,763 acres of land owned and leased by
Weyerhaeuser Co. into the Safe Harbor
Program. The Weyerhaeuser land has 48
woodpecker groups representing the secondlargest
population on private land.
There are now nine landowners enrolled in
Safe Harbor totaling 427,698 acres with 101
groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers.
If that momentum keeps up, Baka estimates
the woodpecker could be downgraded
from endangered in 2035 and removed from
the list in 2050.•

Play a part in your community while meeting prospective new
clients at one of our many monthly or quarterly networking events.
Call the Chamber now to reserve your spot at:
B2B (Business to Business)
Speed Dating for Businesses
Monthly Luncheons
Business After Hours
President’s Roundtable
To join visit www.sttammanychamber.org or call 985-892-3216
Join now and ensure your company is listed in the 2010 – 2011 Community Guide and Membership Directory.

Nine stimulus-funded road construction projects on state
and federal highways, totaling no more than $26.3 million,
have been completed or are in the works to ease traffic
across St. Tammany Parish. Of those, three projects
totaling $9.5 million involve work on Interstate 12.
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
Have roads,
will travel
An injection of $28 million in stimulus projects is easing congestion in St. Tammany
By Ben Myers
Staff Writer
ben.myers@nopg.com
32 April/May 2010

“S
timulus” is one of those Great
Recession-era words that suddenly
has new meaning. Politicization
has a way of doing that. So, depending on your
persuasion, the word probably inspires revulsion
or relief.
Either way, consider this apolitical fact:
Federal stimulus money is easing congestion
in St. Tammany Parish. Nine stimulus-funded
road construction projects on state and
federal highways, totaling no more than
$26.3 million, have been completed or are in
the works to ease traffic across the parish.
“A lot of these projects are absolutely
needed now or in the near future,” says
Parish Council Administrator Mike Sevante.
At issue is St. Tammany’s ability to meet
demands placed on its infrastructure by a growing
population. The parish’s 10-year transportation
plan, adopted just prior to Hurricane
Katrina, includes many of the stimulus projects.
That became a one-year plan after the storm,
when tens of thousands of new residents
flocked to St. Tammany, Sevante says. The
Katrina anomaly has somewhat dissipated, but
the parish’s population could nearly double in
the next 20 years, according to estimates by the
Louisiana State Census Data Center.
“We are at an infrastructure deficit,” says
Jean Champagne, past chairman of the St.
Tammany West Chamber of Commerce.
That’s due to a lack of resources. St.
Tammany already
has difficulty obtaining
its share of state transportation
dollars, and the parish’s two
methods of self-funding road construction
— sales taxes and mandatory impact fees
tied to development — are hurting from the
national recession.
“Some of the roads we want to build in my
district, that money just disappeared because
of the sales tax revenues gone,” says
Councilman Marty Gould.
In fact, despite expectations of future
growth, residential growth is now at a 15-
See HAVE ROADS, WILL TRAVEL, page 34
April/May 2010 33

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Have roads,
will travel
continued from page 33
year low, Sevante says. That means dwindling
revenues.
“Because of all this relocation and redevelopment,
you saw a spike in our revenue
(post-Katrina),” Sevante says. “But that flattened
out and now has actually started to
decline to 2004 levels.”
Two of the projects center on state
Highway 21 and Interstate 12, just south of
Covington, and went to bid in March. One
will improve the intersection of Brewster
and Highway 21, and another will improve
interchanges between the highway and the
interstate. These projects will total $11.4
million and should complement a lanewidening
project already completed on the
highway north of the interstate.
Champagne, as he spoke, happened to be
driving on Highway 21, from Mandeville to
Covington. He makes the trip frequently, and the
completed work has cut his drive time roughly in
half, depending on the time of day, he says.
Champagne directly attributes the arrival
of small businesses and grocery outlets
along the highway to the lane widening, but
the additional projects are needed to continue
easing congestion.
“You come down to one lane going south
on 21, and there is kind of an abrupt stop,”
Champagne says.
The interchange at Highway 21 and
Interstate 12 is one of three marked for
improvement and, at $19.9 million, the projects
command the lion’s share of stimulus money
being employed in the parish. Interchange projects
at highways 21 and 59 went out to bid in
March, and another bid at U.S. Highway 190 is
under way with an 18-month timeline.
“
We are
at an
infrastructure
deficit. ”
JEAN CHAMPAGNE
past chairman of the
St. Tammany West Chamber
of Commerce
34 April/May 2010

GOING PLACES
Nine federal stimulus-funded road construction
projects are under way or complete across
St. Tammany Parish. All projects are aimed at
relieving traffic congestion. Here is a look at the
projects, listed by location, maximum stimulus
contribution and status.
State Highway 59 and Military Road
$1.28 million
Complete
Interstate 12 and State Highway 59
$2.95 million
Construction bid awarded
Interstate 12 interchange with U.S. Highway 11
$5.27 million
Under way, completion expected in 12 to 18 months
Interstate 12 interchange with State Highway 21
$7.8 million
Went to bid in March
Brownswitch Road at Military Road
$1 million
Went to bid in March
U.S. Highway 190 at North Park Business Park
$500,000
Went to bid in March
State Highway 21 and Brewster Road
$2.5 million
Went to bid in March
Brownswitch Road at Robert Road roundabout
$2.5 million
Went to bid in March
State Highway 433 at Voters Road, next to
Interstate 10/433 interchange
$2.5 million
Went to bid in March
Source: North Shore Report staff research
The Interstate 12/Highway 59 interchange
is particularly crucial due to its proximity to
Fontainebleau High School, and the parish’s
plans to widen the highway. A longstanding
building moratorium on Highway 59 has
been in place “to keep a bad situation from
getting worse,” Sevante says. But with the
interchange improvement, the moratorium is
expiring in April, and the parish council is
requiring additional building setbacks.
“That strip essentially has one lane of traffic
going each way,” Sevante says. “Eventually the
development along 59 is going to require that
highway to be four lanes.”
Another improvement on U.S. 190 is at the
highway’s intersection with the Northpark
Business Park. It’s relatively cheap, at
$450,000, but should improve access to the
park and benefit businesses, Champagne says.
That project went out to bid in March.
“That area is intensely commercially developed,”
Champagne says. “You want people
going by. You don’t want them jammed up,
you don’t want them aggravated.”•
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April/May 2010 35

36 April/May 2010

Officials involved with the I.P. North
project look at plans for green space
that will be built across from the
facility. From left: Michael Campbell
of The Feil Organization, Richard Traina
of Seale & Ross law firm, Greater
New Orleans Inc. CEO Michael Hecht,
Beau Perschall of TurboSquid,
GNO Inc. Chairman Marty Mayer and
Nancy-Ellen Martin of TurboSquid.
CREATIVE
SIDE
WITH PLANS FOR AN I.P. NORTH
FACILITY, A STARTUP HUB TAPS
INTO THE NORTH SHORE TO
FIND ITS LATEST CROP OF
ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENT
By Emilie Bahr
Contributing Writer
PHOTOS BY FRANK AYMAMI
Last spring, the former McGlinchey
Stafford law firm property in
downtown New Orleans took
on a new persona as the Intellectual
Property Building.
The I.P., as it is commonly
known, is designed to be a hub for
pulling together creative and digital
companies.
Since then, it has been hailed as
a major step forward in promoting
and fostering the Crescent City’s
budding role as a hotbed of young
entrepreneurial talent.
Now, there’s an effort under way
to replicate the New Orleans I.P.
model in downtown Covington.
“We really felt that because this
has been such a success on the South
Shore we should do one on the
North Shore that is similarly structured,”
says Michael Hecht, CEO of
the regional economic development
agency Greater New Orleans Inc.,
which is partnering with Corporate
Realty and the Feil Organization on
the I.P. North project.
The South Shore facility’s design
is sleek and open. Amenities include
a café, gym, dog-friendly accommodations
and, most recently, deskside
drink service courtesy of the
bar/restaurant Capdeville.
The I.P. is meant to encourage
collaboration and innovation among
agencies that have set up shop there.
But just as important, Hecht says,
is the establishment of a symbolic
center of entrepreneurial activity in
the community — a sign to the rest of
the world that New Orleans is both
an appealing and viable place for creative
business activity.
That effort appears to be paying
off. What started with four initial
I.P. tenant companies has grown to
close to a dozen, Hecht says.
Meantime, the development has
garnered significant national
media attention, with mentions in
outlets including the New York
Times, Entrepreneur Magazine,
Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Relative to the size and shape of
the community, Hecht says I.P.
North’s “catalytic impact” could be
even greater than that sparked by the
original I.P. In New Orleans, he rea-
See CREATIVE SIDE, page 38
April/May 2010 37

I.P. North will be in the Covington Village Walk development, which now houses
a fitness center, florist bank and satellite offices of 3D model clearinghouse
TurboSquid, a company headquartered at the original I.P. building.
CREATIVE
SIDE
continued from page 37
RENDERING COURTESY OF GREATER NEW ORLEANS INC.
sons, such entrepreneurial havens as The Icehouse and
Entrepreneur’s Row serve similar purposes as the I.P. whereas
“nothing like this existed on the North Shore.”
Replicating success
The business model being applied to I.P. North is identical to that
tested on the South Shore, Hecht says.
“It’s not an incubator. It is much more what I would call a marketing
agglomeration plan. We’re simply putting like businesses
together and then branding it, marketing it.”
The I.P. North will be housed in an erstwhile strip mall.
Since 1997, the property has been owned by the New Yorkbased
Feil Organization, which also owns Metairie’s Lakeside
Shopping Center.
Covington Village Walk, as the development is currently
known, now houses a fitness center, florist, bank and satellite
offices of 3D model clearinghouse TurboSquid, a company headquartered
at the original I.P. building.
Most observers agree that the mall never really took off as a
retail destination. Casey Burka, a commercial leasing specialist
with Corporate Realty, which handles leasing on the property,
attributes this to the site’s low-visibility location off the main commercial
drag. But Burka says he is confident the development will
prove an easier sell among the sorts of companies and organizations
the I.P. aims to attract.
Rita Moreci, a property manager with the Feil Organization,
echoes that sentiment.
“We believe the site will work for the I.P. project for exactly the
reasons why it didn’t for the retail,” Moreci says. “The persons
involved with the I.P. are technical and creative individuals and
enjoy the peacefulness of the area. They also enjoy the ambiance
38 April/May 2010

of Covington and the proximity of local Covington restaurants,
shops, living quarters and ease of access.”
She adds that her company intends to soon create a park at
the end of Lee Lane “to further enhance the creative atmosphere
of the project.”
Organizations considering I.P. North are being offered
space at $12 to $13 per square foot, Burka says, a price tag he
describes as “considerably lower” than comparable Covington
commercial space.
“We have a very wealthy landlord who’s owned this for a
while and paid off his note, so you’re not having to adjust for the
price of land,” he explains of the rating schedule. “Also, because
we’re not directly on (U.S. Highway) 190, we adjust for that.”
Central location
Hecht says the chosen site of I.P. North is appealing on a number of
fronts, including its downtown location, the fact that TurboSquid
was already operating there and that the development, which is
divided into three separate buildings, already housed a gym and a
kitchen-equipped space designed for a restaurant.
TurboSquid opened its downtown Covington office in May
2008 and has three to six employees working there at any given time.
The property, says Nancy-Ellen Martin, TurboSquid vice
president of member services, was appealing for its central
location and layout.
“Downtown Covington is a great place to work and we enjoy
being in close proximity to shops and restaurants,” Martin says.
See CREATIVE SIDE, page 40
April/May 2010 39

CREATIVE
SIDE
continued from page 39
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Depending on how the space is divided,
I.P. North could house 10 or more additional
tenants, Hecht says. Renovations and landscaping
were under way as of early February
with a pre-opening party held March 4.
Although he declined to disclose any
prospective tenants, citing ongoing discussions,
Hecht says about a half dozen
organizations consisting of “creative professional
companies,” local foundations,
schools and nonprofits had expressed
interest in the space.
Covington Mayor Candace Watkins, who
says the eclecticism of Covington businesses
is far broader than most casual observers
might expect, called the I.P. North an exciting
development, one that could assist in ongoing
efforts to revitalize the city’s downtown.
“Whatever is the trendy type of movement
to have in your downtown, everybody’s going
to want it,” Watkins says. “And right now I.P.
is the trend. … It’s going to get us a lot of
recognition and publicity, and that’s always
good. It’s going to attract more people.”•
40 April/May 2010

Force
of nature
Deploying and maintaining buoys on
the high seas is difficult and costly.
The National Buoy Data Center
has 39 tsunami-detecting buoys in
the Pacific and Atlantic oceans,
Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
HOW A MANDEVILLE
OCEAN ENGINEER
PLAYS A CRITICAL
ROLE IN DETECTING
TSUNAMIS
WORLDWIDE
By Jana Mackin
Contributing Writer
PHOTO BY DEB BURST
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
April/May 2010 41

Force
of nature
Deep inside an old Saturn rocket facility, a
North Shore guardian is busy saving lives one
buoy at a time.
Craig Kohler is a low-key hero whose network
of high-tech buoys is a masterpiece of computerized,
pressure-sensitive technology that
transmits real-time data essential for forecasting
deadly mega-waves known as tsunamis.
“The service we provide to the American
public is kind of an unsung hero story,” says
Kohler, 50, project manager and professional
ocean engineer for the National Data Buoy
Center’s Deep-ocean Assessment and
Reporting of Tsunamis program, better
known as DART, housed in the center’s
300,000-square-foot facility at the John C.
Stennis Space Center.
Kohler, a resident of Mandeville, leads
operations, maintenance and improvements
for the 39 tsunami-detecting buoys in the
Pacific and Atlantic oceans, Caribbean Sea
and Gulf of Mexico.
DART is a crucial program for the
National Data Buoy Center, which manages
the buoy network. It is a unit of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s
National Weather Service and provides
weather, tide, environmental and other data.
The buoys’ data can range from tsunami or
hurricane warnings to important information
for North Shore recreational boaters.
The life-saving information the buoys
provide can’t be overstated. While Kohler is
not a tsunami research scientist, he says that
if a tsunami were to occur, the “low-lying
areas of the North Shore and the New
Orleans area are particularly vulnerable to
tsunami inundation.
“It’s vital to the National Weather Service
for providing quality weather forecasting,”
says Kohler.
A retired U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant
commander, Kohler has spent nearly 30 years
PHOTO COURTESY NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
The National Buoy Data Center is responsible for deploying buoys worldwide to track weather, tide, environmental and other data.
in design, construction and maintenance of
marine equipment.
With his wife, Jean Ann, and three children,
Clint, 22, Adam, 19, and Jena, 17,
Kohler moved to Mandeville in 2008 when he
took his current job. Outside of work, he is
director of the Mandeville TOPSoccer program
for children with disabilities.
PHOTO BY JIM MACKIN
Depth of responsibility
In his job, Kohler faces enormous challenges
dealing with expensive, deep-water buoys that
can be anchored at depths of more than
16,000 feet.
Chung-Chu Teng, chief of the Observing
Systems Branch of NOAA’s National Data
Buoy Center, estimates a single buoy can range
in cost from $300,000 to more than $1 million.
These highly sensitive buoys must be perfectly
placed in the deep ocean so they can detect sudden
changes in water pressure and provide realtime
measurements of how the ocean surface is
impacted by a seismic event such as an earthquake
or landslide.
Any improper placement, drift or technical
or human error can interfere with the information’s
accuracy.
Kohler’s range of responsibilities is extensive.
He regularly contracts commercial ships
on tours worldwide to retrieve buoys for
maintenance, clean barnacles from hulls,
supervise testing of vital sensors and computer
elements, and oversee the buoy center’s
$11 million facility upgrade.
“We do everything here from cradle to grave.
We test everything because it is very expensive
to deploy a buoy out there,” Kohler says. “It
can’t hiccup at all. It’s got to perform flawlessly.”
Perfection is fundamental to the mission of
the center, which indirectly saves lives by providing
critical weather information to boaters.
“Our mission is saving lives one observation
at a time,” says Teng.
Like Kohler, Teng is also a North Shore
resident and lives in Slidell. He estimates that
about 19 of 49 NDBC government employees
live on the North Shore, with the percentage
similar for the more than 140 contractors.
Dangerous waves
NOAA began developing the DART system
in 1995. By 2001, there were six buoy
stations.
After the deadly 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami,
the fleet was beefed up to its present network
of 39 buoys to provide data essential to
tsunami warnings. The Indian Ocean tsunami
was estimated to have released the energy of
23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and
the United Nations reported that 229,866
people were dead or missing, as well as millions
impacted in several countries.
The importance of tracking tsunamis was
restated in February, after the 8.8-magnitude
Chilean earthquake scale sent potentially
treacherous waves across the Pacific Ocean.
42 April/May 2010
Buoys are often damaged by
collision, and maintenance
is expensive.

$59
PHOTO COURTESY CFAIG KOHLER
att.com
c mmitment.
“
We test everything
because it is very
expensive to deploy
a buoy out there.
It can’t hiccup
at all. It’s got to
perform flawlessly.
”
CRAIG KOHLER
project manager and professional ocean engineer
for the National Data Buoy Center’s Deep-ocean
Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis program
Early this year, Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, visited
the buoy center, recognizing it as a crucial
component of NOAA at Stennis.
“NOAA continues its significant presence
at Stennis after three decades. ... Among our
essential services, the National Data Buoy
Center provides worldwide ocean observations
and quality data. ... I’m proud of what
NOAA does for the vital Gulf Coast and the
value we bring nationwide,” Lubchenco wrote
in a recent e-mail to North Shore Report.
While the global, regional and local impact
of NOAA’s weather forecasting, climate monitoring
and other contributions are enormous
in terms of life-saving, the organization’s mission
is epitomized by Kohler’s quiet work.
“I love helping people,” Kohler says.
“That’s why I joined the Coast Guard. I love
that we are contributing to saving lives.”•
We’re deeply committed to environmental sustainability,
whether that’s using alternative fuel sources, reducing
electronic waste or upgrading our vehicle fleet to
cut carbon emissions. Our network connects people
and businesses seamlessly, increasing efficiency,
minimizing environmental impact and strengthening
our connection to the world we all share.
Every step, big or small, makes a difference.
© 2010 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved.
AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.
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April/May 2010 43

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44 April/May 2010

People
Neil Abramson
Arvind Yertha
Ronnie Kole
Alan Flattmann
Shane Gorringe
T h e p e o p l e o f S t . T a m m a n y
Community shots
PHOTO COURTESY EAST ST. TAMMANY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Lori Murphy
Allen Little
Pamela Binnings
Ewen
Bryan Gowland
Brian Stoltz
Awards
Phelps Dunbar attorney Neil Abramson received the 2009 Legislator of the Year
award from the Alliance for Good Government.
The St. Tammany Parish Commission on Cultural Affairs named Mandeville guitarist
and vocalist Christian Serpas its artSPARK Artist of the Month for January.
Dr. Arvind Yertha was selected as North Oaks Health System’s Physician of the
Year for 2009.
At the Fifth Annual President’s Arts Awards, St. Tammany Parish President Kevin
Davis and the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs gave Ronnie Kole the
Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award and named Alan Flattmann Visual Artist of
the Year, Shane Gorringe Culinary Artist of the Year, Lori Murphy
Arts Patron of the Year, Allen Little Performing Artist of the Year
and Pamela Binnings Ewen Literary Artist of the Year. Bryan
Gowland received the President’s Special award and Brian Stoltz
was named Musical Artist of the Year.
From left: East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce CEO Dawn Sharpe Brackett presents
the chamber’s Ambassador of the Year Awards to Scott Standiford of Kentwood Spring
Water, Caitlin Scanlan of the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, Evelyn Snyder of
Home Instead Senior Care and Brad Dubose of First Franklin Financial Services.
Banking
IberiaBank named H. Gregg Strader executive vice president and
chief credit officer.
Whitney Holding Corp. named Hardy Fowler director of the
company and the bank. Whitney Bank named Joseph Omner
regional president of the North Shore market.
Energy
The Minerals Management Service named David Cooke regional
supervisor for resource evaluation in the Gulf Region office.
Joseph Omner
David Cooke
PHOTO COURTESY ST. TAMMANY WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Gregory William Hines Robert Brown David Conroy Rob Stuart
Rattler Sr.
General Business
The Council for a Better Louisiana named Robert Levy chairman, Gregory
Rattler Sr. chairman-elect, Patrick Moore treasurer, Alice Pecoraro secretary
and William Hines immediate past chairman
to its 2010 board of directors. Other elected
directors are Ray Authement, Daryl Burckel,
Neil Erwin, Robert Brown, David Conroy,
Anne Milling, Sara Roberts, Rob Stuart and
Thomas Turner.
Government
Milo Stephens
The city of Slidell and the Department of Cultural
and Public Affairs named Milo Stephens commissioner
for the city’s Commission on the Arts.
The St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce named
Michele Avery chairwoman of its 2010 board of directors.
Michele Avery
Outgoing chairman Jean Champagne passes the gavel to Michele Avery, 2010 chairwoman
of the board for the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce. The chamber
named its new board members at its annual Installation and Awards Banquet in January.
Health Care
Lakeview Regional Medical Center hired Dr. Rick Jeansonne.
Slidell Memorial Hospital promoted Kristene Simmons to director
of emergency services.
Kristene
Simmons
See AROUND THE PARISH, page 46
April/May 2010 45

AROUND THE PARISH, continued from page 45
People cotinued
St. Tammany Parish Hospital named Dr.
Hamid Salam chief of staff, Dr. Katherine
Williams vice chief of staff and Dr. M. Celeste
Lagarde secretary and treasurer as their 2010
medical staff officers. Dr. Jack “Jay” Saux will
serve as the medical staff representative to the
STPH board of commissioners and doctors
Ricardo Blanco, Jason Reina and Margaret
“Margie”
Strong will
serve as members
at large.
North Oaks
Rehabilitation
Hospital named
doctors
Randolph Roig
chief of staff and
chairman, Gerald
M. Celeste
Lagarde
Sparks vice chief of staff and Hugo Valdes and Susan Zacharia
members at large to its 2010 medical executive committee.
North Oaks Medical Center named Dr. Michael Harlan chief
of staff and chairman, J.P. Miller chief of staff-elect and doctors
Jason B. Reina and Bonadelvert Suarez members at
large to its 2010 medical executive committee. Dr. William
Gilbreath will serve as family practice chairman; Dr. David
Oubre, medicine department chairman; Dr. Elizabeth Fritz,
obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics chairman; Dr. Robert Kidd,
surgery department chairman; and Dr. Thomas Reinecke
emergency medicine department chairman.
Insurance
The Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corp.
named Dr. Katharine Rathbun medical director.
Pan-American Life Insurance Group named
Bruce Parker senior vice president of global life
insurance.
Law
The Louisiana Bar Foundation
named Seth Nehrbass, J. Todd
Reeves, Rodney Seydel Jr. and
Sidney Torres III fellows.
McGlinchey Stafford attorney
Paul West was elected
president of the International
Jack “Jay”
Saux
Hamid Salam
Ricardo Blanco
Katharine
Rathbun
Katherine
Williams
Jason Reina
Margaret
“Margie” Strong
Bruce Parker
Paul West John Overby Craig Watson
Association of Gaming Advisors.
Blue Williams LLP named John Overby and Craig Watson partners.
Nonprofits
Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana named Amanda Brunson president
and CEO.
Real Estate
New Orleans Commercial Real Estate Women named Donna
Taylor president, Rose McCabe Lebreton past president, Angela
Amanda
O’Byrne president elect, Jo Anna Cotaya treasurer and Valerie
Brunson
Marcus secretary to its 2010 board of directors. Other elected
directors are Karley Frankic, Ellen Mullins, Sabine Teijelo and Janna Shearman.
Donna Taylor
Stacy Kaiser
Rose McCabe
Lebreton
Branden Barker
Angela O’Byrne
Debbie Prejeant
The Institute of Real Estate Management
Louisiana chapter named Stacy Kaiser president,
Branden Barker vice president, Debbie
Prejeant treasurer and Bill Pietri secretary to
its executive council.
Latter & Blum Realtors named Julie Lawler an
agent in the Slidell office and Catherine Castle an
agent in the Mandeville office.
Karley Frankic
Bill Pietri
Catherine
Castle
Janna
Shearman
Julie Lawler
Nick Deluzain
Restaurants
The North Shore chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association named Nick
Deluzain of Benedict’s Restaurant in Mandeville the 2010 chapter president.
FYI
Openings
A Work of Art opened at 410 Covington St. in Madisonville.
Joyce & Darnell’s Casual Dining opened at 153 Robert St. in Slidell.
Insurance Marketplace opened at 1349 Corporate Square, Slidell.
Ohana Pier held its grand opening Feb. 9 at 1321 Gause Blvd., Suite 3 in Slidell.
Moving
St. Tammany Parish Hospital will relocate outpatient rehabilitation into the hospital’s
Riverside Building, 1414 S. Tyler St. in Covington. The facility is equipped
with private treatment rooms and two gym areas for multidisciplinary treatment.
The hospital will also relocate cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation from the hospital’s
Tchefuncte Building to the Paul D. Cordes Outpatient Pavilion, 16300
Highway 1085 in Covington.
The East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity relocated to 1064 Front St. in Slidell.
Business notables
HealthLeaders Media, a division of HCPro, honored North Oaks Health System’s clinic
with a Silver Award in the Best Service Line Campaign category of their national marketing
competition.
St. Tammany Parish Hospital Sleep Disorders Center has earned the American
Academy of Sleep Medicine accreditation for demonstrating commitment to providing
quality diagnostic and sleep management services.
Miscellaneous
The St. Tammany Hospital Guild has donated $15,000 to the St. Tammany Hospital
Foundation to refurnish patient rooms.
The city of Slidell formed a new Motion Picture Advisory Committee.
46 April/May 2010

Community shots
PHOTO COURTESY ST. TAMMANY PARISH HOSPITAL
St. Tammany Parish Hospital employees gather in the lobby Feb. 5 to support the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl.
NIGHTS IN THE EAST
The East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce held its Hollywood Nights in the East event Jan. 8 at the Northshore Harbor Center,
recognizing businesses and individuals for their contributions in 2009. The award winners are:
Member of the Year
Northshore Harbor Center
Ambassadors of the Year
Brad Dubose
Caitlin Scanlan
Evelyn Snyder
Scott Standiford
Director of the Year
S. Michele Blanchard
Small Business of the Year
Watch System Inc.
Large Business of the Year
Charter Business
New Business of the Year
Geaux for the Gold
Tropical Smoothie
Community Involvement
Slidell Memorial Hospital
Lowrey-Dunham, Case & Vivien Insurance
Cultural Collaboration
city of Slidell
Voice of Business Collaboration
St. Tammany Parish Government
Collaboration for Business
St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce
Chairman’s Club Choice Award
Members of the Events Committee:
Peter Cavignac
Robyn Kline
Kathy Lowrey
Danny Schaus
April/May 2010 47

48 April/May 2010

Prestige Preview
Southern Living has selected TerraBella as
the location for one of two 2010 Idea Houses.
TerraBella, a 400-acre Traditional Neighborhood
Development (TND) located in Covington
and modeled after communities like River
Ranch, Seaside, and Rosemary Beach, continues
to receive interest from near and far.
The house will open June 12, 2010 and
hopes to draw as many as 30,000 visitors
from across the region over three months.
“TerraBella offers the lifestyle and amenities
we look for in selecting an Idea House neighborhood”,
said Kristen Payne, Executive Director
of the Southern Living Homes Group.
“We southerners live both inside and outside
of our homes, so a sense of place is so important.”
New urbanism and a return to the traditional
neighborhood are the motivation behind architect
Steve Oubre's village plan for Terra-
Bella. Committed to minimal environmental
impact, approximately 180 acres of Terra-
Bella's land has been dedicated to pristine
wetlands. Within this nature preserve, residents
will hike among the trees, fish in the lake, and canoe down the river. Designed around the idea of walkability,
the village center is just minutes from resident’s front porches and will be the location of the village market and
deli, retail, and professional offices.
TerraBella is a community that capitalizes on charming Southern architecture which originates from rich Louisiana
culture, and beyond. A commitment to architectural control and quality is embraced by TerraBella’s selected
builder’s group and the development team, which includes Boh Bros Construction, who has built a reputation for
quality over the last 101 years. Amenities will include a one-mile lake and jogging path, family parks, dining and
shopping, community events, a village post office, and a proposed elementary school.
TerraBella is conveniently located on Highway 1085, just minutes north of I-12,
and offers a unique lifestyle with something for everyone.
For more information, call 985-871-7171
www.terrabellavillage.com
April/May 2010 49

Prestige Preview
Our Mission Statement:
To integrate sound business principles, market knowledge,
and results-oriented practitioners focused on servicing
the needs of the client.
Real Estate Brokerage & Consulting
985.898.5888
www.rerg.com
Just Good Business
CAROLYN
COOKE ALLEN
985-789-4679
JO ANN
PISCIOTTA
504-957-3629
JANE
BODET
504-481-6140
HOLLY
BRASELMAN
985-966-2755
CAROL
BURRALL
985-966-1260
JANE’
HILL FOSTER
985-789-6649
LYNN NUNEZ
GAGNON
985-705-1133
DANNY
GASPARD
985-264-3657
SUSAN
HAYDEL
985-264-5522
AVIS
JUAN
504-301-5321
MOLLY
KEHOE
504-813-4434
LYNN
LARTER
504-577-6802
SHELLY
MARCHETTA
504-577-7900
WAYNE
MAYBERRY
985-373-0130
DAWN
McBURNEY
985-789-0494
SHARON
McLEESE
985-630-1797
CLAY
HARVIN
985-630-8540
CAROL
MIRAMON
985-966-4106
DIANNE
QUINN
985-630-1804
KEN
RAYER
985-966-2759
LANIE
ROBERTS
985-502-7070
BEVERLY
HOBBS SHEA
504-669-8826
JOEL
SCOTT
985-807-7854
DEBBIE
RELLE
985-630-3952
90 Louis Prima, Covington, LA 70433
Office: 985.898.5888 • Fax: 985.898.5898
50 April/May 2010

Prestige Preview
JENNIFER RICE
(985)966-1321
Direct: 985-892-1478
jenniferrice@stirlingprop.com
more photos at www.jenniferrice.net
Jennifer Rice and Team
Drop. Drop off reusable building materials, home
furnishing and appliances at the ReStore for resale.
Shop. Shop for unexpected bargains and save on quality
building materials and household goods.
Build. Build Habitat homes with the proceeds. That’s
how our recycling program works to improve the
community and eliminate sub-standard housing.
Open to the Public: Mon.-Sat. 9-4
Selling New, Overstocked & Donated Merchandise!
1400 North Lane, Mandeville
behind Prieto Fire Station)
Se habla Español
Alice McNeely
504-812-2236
Hyatt Hood
985-966-1131
Magnificent historic home
With views of the Bogue Falaya River
For more information and photos:
JenniferRice.net
1321 W. Causeway Approach Mandeville, LA 70471 (985) 626-5687
Each ERA office is individually owned and operated.
Back to the Bay...
It’s time to rediscover the
Mississippi Gulf Coast!
Latter & Blum Coastal Living has more than
20 Realtors ready to serve you. Call today for
a complete list of Mississippi Gulf Coast
available properties.
www.Latter-Blum.com
Come be a part of our revitalization. Opportunities abound!
We know Coastal Living and we want you to experience
what makes the Mississippi Gulf Coast so unique.
REALTOR
John Schaff Owner/Broker
®
Toll free: 800.215.4111 • Office: 228.467.4111 1188 Hwy. 90, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520
(601) 749-2007
Her Amazing predictions will astound you and
shock you. Masters on all love problems can
reveal your partners feelings. Stress, depression
and poor health can be removed immediately.
Calls enemies by name. In need of advice in
your career. Helps on all problems
You may not
always get the
answers you
want but you will
get the answers
you need.
April/May 2010 51

w o r d
with Ivan Miestchovich, UNO Institute for Economic Development and Real Estate Research director
PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
By Craig Guillot
Contributing Writer
Age: 61
Education: bachelor’s degree in marketing, MBA and
master’s degree in urban studies from the University of
New Orleans, Ph.D. from University of Southern Mississippi
Family: wife, Peggy; daughters, Kristin, 35, and Kaitlin, 19
Residence: Amite
A
s director of the Institute for Economic Development and
Real Estate Research at the University of New Orleans,
Ivan Miestchovich is noted as one of the top real estate
authorities in the region. In his personal life, he chooses to hang
his hat on the North Shore. Having lived north of Lake
Pontchartrain for three decades — in Abita Springs, Covington
and now Amite — Miestchovich has seen St. Tammany Parish
grow by leaps and bounds. North Shore Report catches up with
him on the housing market and life on this side of the lake.
What originally drew you to the North Shore
We used to live in the city near the intersection of Carrollton and
Claiborne. Once our first child came along, that just kind of
changed things. It was just the fact that the North Shore was so
rural and quiet. I still remember the first night when we sat there
in our bed we were shocked at how quiet it was.
How did you first get into real estate research
I consider myself a “backdoor academic.” I can’t really say I
planned for things to happen like this. It’s just the way they
unfolded. When I was working on my MBA, I was offered a
job as a real estate research assistant for a consulting firm.
Before I knew it, I was running the Center of Economic
Development at the University of New Orleans. I then figured
I should get a Ph.D., so I did that.
What do most people not really understand
about real estate
It is by and large a local issue but it is also linked to global and
economic forces through mortgages and interest rates. Market
value tends to rise over the long haul, but there are also big
periods in which market values decline. Whether it is investment
property or your own residence, real estate is something of
which you need to have a long-term horizon.
As the North Shore continues to grow, is it
losing any of its appeal
I think some areas south of I-12 have already been affected by
that growth. That is just a consequence of population migration
patterns that create more density. On the flip side, you still have
large areas north of I-12 that have been pretty much untouched.
It’s all about the need to create good paying jobs and economic
opportunities and balance that with managing growth.
Why has the metro area not seen the big real
estate fallout that other parts of the country have
That was mainly in areas that had rapidly growing economies
like the West Coast, Vegas and Florida. We just really weren’t
a hot market when prices started to escalate rapidly. When
Katrina hit, it kind of created a protective bubble. Subprime
loans never came here in large numbers and there was a
two-year hold on foreclosures on homeowners that were
delinquent because of the storm. Then a rush of rebuilding
capital came flowing in. Only in the last 18 to 24 months
have we seen housing prices in the metro area show some
weakness. Despite all of the bad stuff it did to us, Katrina
was a silver lining in terms of real estate.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re
not thinking about economics or real estate
Our family has been involved with horses for quite a while. Both
of my daughters rode English (style) for a while. My youngest
started competing in the Louisiana High School Rodeo
Association three years ago and we spent a lot of time traveling
to rodeos around the state. She also competes in barrel racing
and semi-pro rodeos.•
52 April/May 2010

Pierce Aviation is pleased to offer 1/3 share of
this well equipped and highly efficient Eclipse
500 jet for sale. We have managed this aircraft
since new in October 2007, and last year’s
dispatch reliability was over 98%. It has all
available speed modifications, and boasts a
stand-alone Garmin 400 WAAS GPS. Less than
500 hours total time. $ 450,000.
Pierce Aviation is also offering a 1/3 share of this well equipped and very efficient Cessna 414A RAM IV for
sale. We recently renovated this aircraft to better-than-new standards. The engines are still under RAM factory
warranty, and all avionics were overhauled or upgraded. The interior was completely gutted and rebuilt using
modern foil-backed polymer insulation, Portuguese leather, ribboned mahogany, and closed-looped stainresistant
carpet. We have gone through great pains to address every detail for passenger comfort. $ 170,000.
Make an appointment to tour our recently completed Hammond facility.
photos: beckycooperphotography.com
It’s your aircraft. Fly.
www.pierce-aviation.com • Erin Patrick Pierce • Office 985-345-3030

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