Last week, Northshore Food Bank shared some of the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on the organization and the community. The Food Bank also opened a new, expanded Resale Shop last year, a place to sell donated housewares, clothing and other items with proceeds benefiting the Food Bank. A survey aimed to gather feedback from the public on the new Resale Shop can be found here. The survey can be taken even if you have not visited the shop yet!
2020 was an unprecedented year in so many ways. This week we will share some of the numbers that demonstrate not only the increased need for food on the Northshore, but also how our community has supported us to ensure families in need are fed.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we recognized the need for additional food for kids when the schools closed early. Emergency kid packs were distributed from March until school started again in the fall, and again over the winter holiday break.
Through our Community Cupboard we have expanded our reach, providing food assistance to households that cannot come to us.
For the first time ever, we distributed enough food to provide over 1 Million Meals in one year.
By the end of September, we had already reached the one million pounds benchmark; this is a volume we might typically reach by the end of the year or fall just under it.
Did you know that by shopping and donating to our Resale Shop that you help feed families on the Northshore? All net proceeds directly go to operating the food bank.
We would love your thoughts on our Resale Shop. Your input could help feed even more families on the Northshore. Take our brief survey: http://bit.ly/3b8PqT7
“African Americans in Covington” is a collection of stories, memories and photographs covering the history, lives and triumphs of Covington’s African American community. Written by by Dr. Eva Semien Baham with forward by Rev. Mallery Callahan, it was published in 2015 as part of the “Images of America” historical series by Arcadia Publishing. It is available to view and purchase straight from Arcadia Publishing, on Kindle and Amazon, and at local CVS and Walgreens.
excerpt from the book
Book Bio
Covington is the seat of St. Tammany Parish government and sits north of Lake Pontchartrain in the New Orleans metropolitan area. Records from 1727 show 11 Africans on the north shore. One person of African descent was present at the founding of Covington on July 4, 1813. Most African Americans in antebellum Covington were slaves, with a modest number of free people, all of whom covered nearly every occupation needed for the development and sustenance of a heavily forested region. For more than 200 years in Covington, African Americans transformed their second-class status by grounding themselves in shared religious and social values. They organized churches, schools, civic organizations, benevolent societies, athletic associations, and businesses to address their needs and to celebrate their joys.
excerpt from the book
About the Author
Looking back in time, author Eva Semien Baham traces the core of Covington’s African American community members to their faiths’ emphases on timeless endurance, perseverance, and active work for change. Residents have a rich history and a contemporary experience rooted in both spiritual and civic involvement on behalf of the social, cultural, and economic advancement of their community, town, and country.
Dr. Eva Baham is the Assistant Professor of History at Dillard University in New Orleans. Prior to coming to Dillard, she taught for twenty-one years at Southern University, Baton Rouge. Her specialties include American, African-American and Intellectual history. She received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Southern University in Baton Rouge and her Masters of Arts and her Ph.D. in American Studies/History from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. She is the founder of the research organization, université sans murs, l.l.c., translated as University Without Walls, under which she conducts genealogical research projects. At present, those projects involves the Baham, Robert, Kelly, Simien and White families of south Louisiana. Currently, her work involves genealogy, biographical studies and the history of African Americans in Louisiana. – blogtalkradio.com
On Saturday December 12th from 2 – 5 pm, come on out to the Covington Porch Fest, featuring live music by local artists at various locations around downtown Covington. Bring your chairs and picnic blankets for this free event presented by the Covington Business Association, benefiting the Northshore Food Bank!
Covington Porch Fest December 12th Lineup:
211 W. 25th Avenue 415 W. 26th Avenue 626 N. Jackson Street 406 W. 23rd Avenue 227 W. 23rd Avenue
Bruce Daigrepont Pontchartrain Shakers Dirty Rain Revelers Jeff Cryer Band Big Al and the Heavyweights
Covington Porch Fest was started this year to provide an outlet for musicians and locals during the pandemic. If you can, please consider supporting a local musician by buying their art or merchandise. Our culture relies heavily on the local artists in our community. Lets show them some love!
Learn more about Porch Fest on their website, and follow them on Facebook for updates!
A seven day celebration of the arts. The first week of December.
All around the nation, artists of all genres, arts organizations and cultural economy businesses are planning celebrations of the arts and the professionals whose talents create the rich cultural fabric of our state. Festivals and art markets, performing arts events, culinary extravaganzas, art exhibitions, healing arts, film screenings, literary events and more–all of these are part of the cultural industry, enhancing the quality of life for our citizens and visitors while providing tremendous economic impact.
An opportunity to explore the many facets of the arts and to support creatives.
Shop Local Artists Week is a great time for holiday shopping, for truly one-of-a-kind gifts and arts experiences. Peruse the offerings of local galleries and museums. Purchase music and memorabilia from some of your favorite local musicians. Pick up tickets from a community theatre or performing arts center, for a chance to make memories with your gift recipient. Art workshops provide an opportunity to enhance artistic skills or to discover new passions. For avid readers, what better gift than a book penned by and signed by local authors? And explore the world of culinary arts with unique dining experiences at local restaurants.
Can’t decide? Gift certificates are an ideal choice for your special recipients. And don’t forget to pick up a something for yourself, too!
Be a part of it!
From metropolitan cities to rural communities, a variety of Shop Local Artist Week events are being created and presented by local artists and cultural organizations. To find events, contact your local Cultural District, Main Street or Arts Agency.
Covington History segment provided by local historical writer Ron Barthet. View Ron’s blog Tammany Family here.
The memories of day-to-day life in Covington in the 1940’s and 1950’s were written down by Phil Pfeffer, a graduate of Covington High School in 1958. Here is what he shared about those times from 70 years ago.
Covington in the 1940s and 1950s By Phil Pfeffer
Everyone talks about the “Good Ole Days.” Let’s take a look.
About 70 years ago, Covington was a sleepy country town of about 5,000 people. It was two hours away from New Orleans to the south of Lake Pontchartrain and two hours east of Baton Rouge. The only industry was a turpentine factory of Delta Pine Products, known earlier as Mackie’s Pine Products. Pine oil as the name suggests was made from pine knots and the logs of pine trees, and the plant was subject to frequent fires.
In those days, the crime rate in Covington was at a minimum. People would get out of their car, without locking it, and leave the keys in the ignition, on a seat or on the dashboard. On a warm, dry day, they would leave the windows rolled down (very few cars had air conditioning).
The houses were not locked a night or even when the resident was away during the day. On a warm night, the doors and windows were left open for circulation (very few houses had air conditioning). A woman or young girl could walk home after a movie at night without fear of being assaulted. In the 1940s a call to the police may take a while for a response because the police had to call a taxi before they could go to the site.
The Fire Department
The fire department was a completely volunteer unit except for the fire chief. The fire chief and his family lived above the fire station. When a fire broke out, a siren on the city’s water tower alerted the volunteers as to the location of the fire for the volunteers to assemble. For example, if the fire was on 19th avenue, the siren would sound one long blast, followed by nine short ones.
The telephone exchange was located on the northeast corner of New Hampshire street and Independence street. When you picked up your telephone a female voice asked, “Number, Please.” Note that all of the telephone operators were women. You would give the operator the number that you wanted to call, and she would connect you. If you did not know the number of your party, you would ask for “Information.”
The phone numbers were two, three or four digits. Some numbers had a letter suffix. These were party lines. You might remember that Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies wanted a party line installed in the mansion so that she could eavesdrop on other conversations. Phones with rotary dial systems did not come to Covington until around 1951.
The Coming of Television
Television was in its embryo stage. Not many families had a television and if they did it consisted of a small, round cathode ray tube. The picture was in black and white and tended to roll, skew vertically or was often comprise of “snow.” Replacing the picture tube periodically cost about $90.
There was only one television station, Channel 6 (WDSU), and it came out of New Orleans. WDSU was later joined by WWL and if you had a high enough antenna and aimed it correctly, you could pick up WBRZ from Baton Rouge. None of these stations operated 24 hours a day. Shows consisted of such classics as “Howdy Doody” and “Morgus the Magnificent.”
Sports on television was minimal. Sometimes there was a professional baseball game shown on Saturday afternoon or a football game on Thanksgiving Day, but the teams were whatever the network wanted to show. Baseball was often on the radio (Mutual Broadcasting System). College games were not on the tube. L.S.U. and Tulane could usually be heard on the radio.
The Local Movie Show
Entertainment was primarily the movie house. The Star Theatre had movies every night. On Sunday and Monday was the main feature for the week. On Saturday night was the weekly cowboy show. Boys would bring their cap pistols and sit on the front row and shoot the bad guys. The cost of admission was nine cents if you were below 12 years old. Otherwise the price was 36 cents. Children would try to lie about their age for the first year after turning twelve.
The Majestic Theatre was also in Covington, but it was only open on the weekends. The Majestic also had branches in Madisonville and in Mandeville.
On the Mandeville highway were the drive-in theatre and the bowling alley. The drive in was open on the week ends and the teenager would do whatever they had to do to avoid the price of admission. If a girl had a long, full skirt, someone would lie on the floor under the skirt. Boys would get in the trunk of the car and get out once they were inside the fence. Some boys would climb the fence and meet the car and driver inside the fence. Typically, when a couple went to the drive in, they didn’t watch the movie.
The Music Scene
Teenagers were introduced to Rock and Roll. Beginning with “Rock around the Clock,” the airwaves were suddenly filled with Fats Domino, Little Richard, the Platters and soon to be with Elvis. It all drove the parents crazy.
The local hangouts were primarily on Claiborne Hill. The younger crowd would congregate at the Dairy King where a milk shake costs twenty cents and a hamburger cost twenty-five cents. As the crowd grew a little older, Claiborne Inn became the preferred location. There, there were car hops for service. Cokes cost a dime and a beer was twenty-five or thirty cents, depending on the brand.
A special was “Chicken in the Basket” consisting of three pieces of chicken, French fries and toast. The cost of the basket was eighty-five cents. Also, on “the Hill” was Village Inn which had a band on Saturday nights, Jim’s which was a more upper-class establishment and the Circle Tavern, better known as “The Bloody Bucket.”
Another popular hangout for the younger set was Harvey’s House. Here there was an ice cream and soda fountain, comic books, pinball machines and on weekends, roller skating in the back at night.
The two Boy Scout troops were Troop 116 and Troop 325. Troop 116 met at St. Peters school. Troop 325 met at the Presbyterian Church on Friday nights and would occasionally go camping. One favorite spot was a boy scout facility, just east of Mandeville near the lake. There were several cub scouts packs around town and one girl scout troop.
With the arrival of summer, it was time to go swimming. The most popular spot was Bogue Falaya State Park at the end of New Hampshire street. Other popular spots were Red Bluff up toward Folsom and Fontainebleau State Park just east of Mandeville. The lake at Fontainebleau was shallow near shore and you had to go out quite a way before the water was waist deep. It was also the location of the annual barbeque held by the Covington Lions Club.
The Covington Country Club opened in 1954. The main activities were the swimming pool and the nine-hole golf course. The back nine was added a few years later. There was food and a bar and people where often seen sun bathing by the pool or playing cards inside. One had to own a share of stock in the country club as prerequisite for membership. A share of stock cost $200.
To travel to New Orleans, you had to go around the lake via Slidell. Besides being a longer journey, you had towns of Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell with their traffic lights. If you got behind a slow car, you had to wait for your chance to pass because it was only a two-lane highway. Travel time was about two hours. The causeway wasn’t opened until the late 1950s. Students at Covington High made temporary and permanent friends with students whose dads came over to work on the causeway construction. It was also about two hours to Baton Rouge with even more town and traffic lights. Here again, Interstate-12 was still on the drawing board.
The Greyhound Bus Connection
One way to go to New Orleans was by the Greyhound bus. The bus originated in Abita Springs, then to the parking lot of the Southern Hotel and made stops in Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell (remember the White Kitchen) before arriving at the terminal on Canal street. It would also stop along the way if someone on the roadside flagged them down. Once in the City, you would shop primarily at Holmes or Maison Blanche. New Orleans had a good transportation system. The bus or streetcar cost seven cents to ride and you could get free transfers to change from streetcar to bus or change buses at intersections to continue your journey.
The newspapers that were published in New Orleans were sent to Covington via the bus. The paper cost a nickel. Boys would distribute the afternoon paper to the subscribed customers while riding on their bikes (rain or shine). They often had trouble collecting the monthly subscription fee from their customers. The Baton Rouge newspaper was seldom available.
Doctors Made House Calls
Home delivery was not uncommon. The milk man brought fresh milk and/or cream to your back door. The daily morning newspaper would be thrown to your front steps. Laundry could be picked up at your back door and taken to St. Joseph’s Abbey where the nuns would wash and iron it and return it in a few days. Even soft drinks and watermelon would be sold door to door. Occasionally, men would be standing on the side of the road selling strawberries or soft-shell crabs. If you were very sick, the doctors made house calls.
There were several automobiles in Covington that no longer exist today. Packard was a luxury car to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln. Studebaker had a car that looked very similar from its front or back. Then there was the Kaiser and the Henry-J. The Edsel made a brief appearance. The price of a Cadillac back then was about five thousand dollars.
Gasoline costs about twenty cents a gallon, sometimes as low as 18-cents or as high as 24-cents. Cigarettes were about 25 to 30-cents a pack. If the price in a vending machine was 27 or 28-cents, the package would have two or three pennies included in the cellophane wrapper as change for your quarter and nickel. Coke and other soft drinks cost only a nickel. Coke later introduced a 10-ounce bottle in addition to their six-ounce size and it cost six-cents.
Passenger trains had not run in Covington for several years, but a daily train still came through. It traveled from Bogalusa through Abita Springs, then through Covington in route to collect logs for the paper mill. It returned in the afternoon fully loaded. Occasionally a freight car would be dropped off on a spur south of Lockwood street. When the train was abolished, the track and land was sold, and it became Tammany Trace.
There were three primary high schools, CHS, St. Paul’s and St. Scholastica’s. It was in the 1950s that St. Paul’s built their “new” basketball gym. Non-students of St. Paul’s would sneak into the school grounds because they had a swimming pool and a couple of pool tables. CHS, located on Jefferson Avenue had several “out buildings.” Agriculture classes were held in a building near the football field. The band hall was a separate building across from the gym. Boys kept their bicycles in the band hall yard (and did not have to lock their bikes). St. Paul’s and CHS had a natural cross-town rivalry in football and basketball. Covington High has since been burned down; fire origin unknown.
The CHS band uniforms provided by the school consisted of a jacket and a hat. Band members had to supply their own white pants and sew a blue strip down each side plus provide their own blue tie. The band performed at half-time of the high school football games, had an annual concert and marched in several New Orleans Mardi Gras parades.
The gym served several purposes. Besides being home court for the school basketball team, Covington hosted an invitation tournament of sixteen local area high school basketball teams each February. The home team won this tourney several years in a row in the 1950s. It was the venue of the high school dances following home football games. After the CHS-St. Paul’s game was the Sadie Hawkins dance. The name taken from Dogpatch and Lil’ Abner whereby the girls asked the boys for a date. It was also used for school assemblies, a site for talent and magic shows, the annual senior class play, and it even served as the location for the performance of the New Orleans symphony.
Across from the high school was the softball field (now the location of the gym). It was a lighted field with bleachers, and in the evenings, softball was played, with the two dominate teams, Shell Oil and WASS (Western Auto Supply Store). In later years, this area was designated for high school boys to smoke, if they had written parental permission.
Driving to Madisonville
To drive to Madisonville, you would go down 19th avenue to Tyler street then to 16th avenue to Filmore (Tyler street was not open between 21st avenue and 19th avenue). At the end of Filmore was a “rickety” old bridge across the Tchefuncte River. The bridge at the south east end of Tyler street was not built until the mid-50s.
To go to Hammond, one would go northwest on 21st avenue to the end and then turn west toward Goodbee. There was no easy way. Traveling from Texas to Florida, the truckers used U.S. Highway 190. That main route came right through Covington down Boston street. It made the double 90-degree turn at Jefferson avenue before going down 21st avenue toward Hammond.
In the Spring of 1957, Covington undertook to renumber every house and building in a more organized way. The intersection of Jefferson avenue and 21st avenue was ground zero. From there, buildings were numbered on the streets every 50 feet. If there was no house or building in a certain span, a gap occurred in the numbers so that there was room for a future building to be numbered.
The street names were changed or modified to reflect north, south, east and west of ground zero. The numbers were assigned using a simple system first originated by Napoleon in France with odd numbers on the left and even numbers on the right as you left ground zero. For instance, a house that was originally 1104 21st avenue, became 406 West 21st avenue.
The parish courthouse was on Boston street. It was torn down in the late 1950s to make room for a new, more modern facility. The gymnasium of the grammar school was the temporary courthouse. It was during this construction period that Governor Earl Long was transported from the mental hospital near Mandeville to the Covington Grammar school gym for a sanity hearing. Rumor was that he told the state trooper that drove the car, that as soon as he let him out at the school, to find another job because he was fired!
St. Paul’s High School Food Drive for Northshore Food Bank
Each year, the Northshore Food Bank distributes over 1 million pounds of food to the residents of St. Tammany and Washington parishes. This year the Food Bank saw an increase of more than 110% in the number of individuals and families they serve due to COVID.
You can help the Northshore Food Bank’s fight to end hunger! Hosting a Food Drive is an easy way for you and your community to get involved.
Food drives play a vital role in helping us to serve those in need in our community. You can make a major impact by organizing a food drive on our behalf.
About 1/3 of our yearly food collection comes from individual donations and community food drives.
The goal of food drives is to bring in as many non-perishable essential items as possible to help us fill our nutritionally sound “staple boxes” distributed to Food Bank participants. There are a number of resources we can offer to help organize your food drive and make it successful, such as:
customizable electronic flyers you can print out and hang to promote your drive
a “Most Needed” items list to share with your group so they can donate needed products
large collection boxes and brown grocery bags to collect donated items
we offer pick-up service for any collections too large to fit in a pick up truck
For more information on how to host a food drive or to request supplies or schedule a pick up, please contact Ginger Kunkle, Community Engagement Manager, at 985.327.0044 or gkunkle@northshorefoodbank.org.
Like many nonprofit organizations in the greater New Orleans area, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana and the youth they serve have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. Our community continues to face unprecedented times, but your support can help kids that need critical support.
The Covington Boys & Girls Club has made several adjustments to adapt to changes since COVID, including wellness checks, free meals and virtual learning classes. With the help of various donors, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana have provided financial relief to families in need. The Covington Boys & Girls Club is back open for afterschool programming, seeing about 22 children a day. They provide free meals for all Club members, both a snack and dinner, averaging about 220 meals per week. They are also still offering free meals to anyone experiencing food insecurity in the Covington area, whether they are involved in the Club or not.
This Wednesday, supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Covington is as easy as strolling around downtown Covington, tasting beer and eating bites. It’s the 4th Annual Oxtober Fest event with a twist – a Beer & Bites Stroll starting at the Covington Trailhead and meandering through the many participating local restaurants. The event benefits the Covington Boys & Girls Club.
Mayor Mark has this to say about the Boys & Girls Club:
“As we know, not all families in our community are able to offer strong parenting. Some children do not receive the structure, the values nor the attention that most of us did as youngsters. At or around the age of 9, 10 or 11, some of these children begin to receive more attention from the streets than from their family. By the age of 13, the bad guys have become their family. This is a bad thing. “Here in Covington, we are blessed with a strong and active Boys and Girls Club. Our school buses drop students off directly from school. A snack, a safe place and some help with homework helps fill a gap. The Club becomes their family. This is a good thing. “Sometimes supporting the community is as simple as buying the ticket, eating the eats and drinking the drinks. This Wednesday is one of those times.”
November is traditionally a month of giving, and many in our community have suffered hardships this year. Thankfully there are a number of organizations in our area designed to help our local neighbors.
Donate Food & Gently Used Household Items to the Northshore Food Bank
The Northshore Food Bank and it’s Resale Shop have undergone some changes in the past year, both expanding to larger locations to meet the demands of our growing community and outer areas. Each year, the Northshore Food Bank distributes over 1 million pounds of food to the residents of St. Tammany and Washington parishes. This year the Food Bank saw an increase of more than 110% in the number of individuals and families they serve due to COVID.
Want to help? You can donate food directly to to Food Bank at their new location, 125 W 30th Ave, Covington, LA. Donation hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 9a-12p at the Community Donations door, facing W 29th Ave. You, your business or place of work can also host a Food Drive! Learn more here: https://northshorefoodbank.org/donate-food
The Northshore Resale Shop accepts donations of gently-used clothing and accessories, household items, appliances and furniture. Funds from the Resale Shop go directly towards purchasing food for the Food Bank. Learn more at https://northshorefoodbank.org/resale.
Knights of Columbus Coat Drive
Our local Knights of Columbus are collecting small children’s (toddler – 12 years old) coats for distribution to those in need. Jackets in good shape may be dropped off at the collection box at Acquistapace’s Grocery or the Children’s Dental Cottage in Madisonville.
Covington Police Department Toy Drive
The Caroline Darby’s Christmas Wish, formerly known as Covington Police Toys for Tots was started in 1995 by Sgt. Wayne Mayberry and the Marines along with a host of CovPD employees, mainly Caroline Darby.
An average of 500 children attend this event annually. It takes about 6 to 8 thousand dollars plus a host of volunteers to provide this special experience for our children.
CovPD is asking for help to keep this program thriving and continuing to put smiles on children’s faces. If so inclined, please mail your donation to:
Caroline Darby’s Christmas Wish PO Box 4074, Covington LA 70434 Questions: Contact Tammy Bushnell @ 985-892-8500 Opt 2
Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Louisiana – Covington Unit
For the past 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana has been a leading provider of afterschool and summer enrichment programs for at-risk youth. As an independent local 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana depends on the generosity of local partners, supporters and investors. Each is vital to the organization’s continued ability to save the lives of at-risk kids across southeast Louisiana.
This year the Boys & Girls Club of Covington has made adjustments and offered additional support to the community with financial relief to families in need, meals, well-being checks and virtual learning for the children. To learn more about how you can donate, sponsor or volunteer with the Boys & Girls Club, visit www.bgcsela.org or follow them on Facebook.
Children’s Advocacy Center – Hope House is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse in our community.
This week is the last chance to support Hope House by donating toward your favorite Men Who Cook celebrity/restaurant team! Men Who Cook, sponsored by Cintas and the Brooke It Forward Foundation, is the primary annual fundraiser for Children’s Advocacy Center – Hope House. Campaign ends Sunday, November 8th. You could win a Dinsey getaway! All donations help CAC-Hope House fight child abuse and trafficking on the Northshore. Learn more here: https://www.cachopehouse.org/events/
Covington Rotary Club’s Feeding the Needy
Feeding the Needy was founded in 2002 by John Baldwin and Craig Babylon to provide food on Christmas day for families in need on the Northshore. The Covington Rotary Club was approached for support and special focus was put on providing food for the school children who, during the holidays, do not receive the meals they receive at school and depend on as their main source of nutrition.
Each year on December 23 and 24, volunteers from all over the area come together to prepare Christmas boxes that include a 14 to 16 pound cooked turkey with numerous side dishes and dessert. Each box has enough food to feed a family of four to five with larger families receiving additional boxes. Deliveries are made to families throughout the Northshore area including St. Tammany, Washington and Tangipahoa parishes. On Christmas morning, Rotarians and other community volunteers hand deliver the boxes to the homes of the identified families.
Besides the fundraising luncheon which is held on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving at the Briggs Assembly Center on St. Paul’s School campus, FTN relies heavily on financial donations. Because of the support from so many generous volunteers and strong partnerships, FTN is able to operate with minimal administrative costs. Donations for FTN are accepted year round. Learn more at the Covington Rotary Foundation’s website.
Northshore Humane Society – Adopt & Donate
Northshore Humane Society rescues thousands of neglected and abandoned animals each year. But we can’t do it alone. Together we can save even more!
For the price of a movie ticket, $13.90, you can provide food to an animal in need for an entire month. Together we can make Thanksgiving Day special for a homeless dog or cat. Your special gift will give an innocent animal the second chance and loving family they have always deserved.
The City of Covington is partnering with local musicians to form the Covington Concert Band, a new concept to create another outlet for local talent to perform in Covington. Community musicians are invited to attend an informational meeting on November 2nd at Bogue Falaya Hall at 7 pm.
Meredith Berry Jr. approached Mayor Mark Johnson and City Councilmen Larry Rolling and Rick Smith with the idea of a Covington Concert band with local musician’s performing 5 to 8 times a year at Covington venues. They will hold auditions and practices will be held on Thursdays at 6:30pm at the Bogue Falaya Hall.
Erik Morales from Mandeville has been chosen to conduct the band. Morales has extensive experience in composing bestselling music for many types of genres including classical, jazz and chamber ensembles, and has participated in featured performances across the globe.
Mayor Mark Johnson said, “We invite everyone from the Northshore to attend the informational meeting on Monday, November 2, 2020 at the Bogue Falaya Hall at 7:00pm.” Bogue Falaya Hall is located at 317 N. Jefferson Ave.
For more information, email covingtonconcertband@covla.com
Since 1965, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana has been a leading provider of both after-school and summer enrichment programs focused on serving disadvantaged youth ages 6 – 18. We are a local 501(c)3 nonprofit and rely on the generosity of local donors, partners, and supporters. Annually we serve over 4,000 youth across Southeast Louisiana ranging from New Orleans to the Westbank, Slidell, and of course our local Club in Covington! Over 70% of the youth we serve are ages 12 and under and over 70% of our youth come from single-parent households. We not only provide education and educational resources, we provide mentorship via our Club Staff and volunteers, nutritious meals, life-enhancing programs, preparation into early-adulthood, and more.
Our Mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. If anyone would like more information about the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana or want info on how to get involved whether that’s through a donation or volunteering, you can find our website at: www.bgcsela.org.
Here are the updates and changes that we’ve implemented in response to COVID-19:
Like many nonprofit organizations in the greater New Orleans area, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana and the youth we serve have been dramatically impacted by COVID-19. Our community continues to face unprecedented times, but your support can help kids that need critical support. Our Mission remains the same, the only thing that has changed is our delivery. Here’s what we’ve been doing:
• COVID-19 Financial Relief: To date, and with the help of various donors, we have been able to provide $29,300 in COVID-19 relief to our families in need. This has been distributed in the form of Rouses Gift Cards, Chevron Gas Cards, and direct rent / mortgage relief.
• Direct Family Contact and well-being checks: We contacted every single one of our youth and families that we serve to check in on them and to offer assistance through this challenging time. We continue to provide links to emergency EBT benefits for children, locations of food banks and online learning modules to assist parents who are now being tasked to operate as full-time teachers while their kids are home. We continue to call our families weekly.
• Grab & Go Meals: We have partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and are providing Grab & Go Meals at two of our Club locations, Slidell and Westbank. In Covington we serve meals through Solutions of Folsom, distributed from 9 – 12 at Faith Bible Church on Columbia Street. We are staffed on-site distributing both lunch and dinner to those in need. Individuals who show up do not need to be members of BGCSELA or have their children enrolled in our programs to qualify for a free meal.
• Virtual Programming and Online Learning: Beginning the first week of June, we launched our virtual programming and education curriculum available to all our youth. Club Directors are creating great video content to engage our youth, we even have at home workouts and DIY STEM labs from home. Additionally, every week our Club Directors are jumping on Zoom with our Youth to further engage them in discussion around the week’s topics as well as encourage them to interact with other youth from the safety of their home. This is in large-part due to our partnership with Chevron who has been an outstanding community partner in our efforts to switch to virtual.
Love Boys & Girls Club? Learn more, get involved or donate at www.bgcsela.org or follow on Facebook.
Trust in public office is a hard thing to come by. It takes hard work to foster and build on trust and only a moment to destroy it. The recent indictment announcement regarding Mr. Strain has me thinking more about the future of St. Tammany Parish more now than ever. Mr. Strain’s alleged behavior is a breach of public trust and he is now in the hands of the criminal justice system. The process has started and he will be judged by his peers as a result and a verdict eventually handed down. However, my attention is on the future of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and how we are viewed currently. We as a community want to trust our leaders and believe they have our best interest in mind and will do the right thing when no one is looking. That is really a simple expectation and not far fetched – Right? I was excited to see change come to the Sheriff’s Office in 2016 and had an expectation that the new administration would bleed integrity and trust. No one more than me wanted to see that positive change so we could watch our law enforcement community grow back in touch with our citizens. I quickly learned that applying my individual expectations to someone else’s moral compass was a mistake and led me to disappointment. Since I’ve been on the campaign trail my message to people has been one of rebuilding trust. Rebuilding trust through transparency, honesty, and accountability. Unfortunately we quickly find that a politician’s goals are often in direct opposition of that message and are primarily interested in political office for selfish or short-sighted reasons. I’m sure some will say, wait Nick you’re a politician now – All I can say is God I hope not now or ever. However, I do want to be a great representative for my community – I certainly hope that doesn’t make me a bad fit for the job. Needless to say, if your character is weak, then your weaknesses will eventually show. Over the last 10 to 12 years our failures in local government have been character failures and not necessarily competence failures. Pay attention to what is happening around you because the future of our community will depend on it.
Nick Tranchina, candidate for St. Tammany Parish Sheriff
The West 30’s Task Force Community Meeting takes place this Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 6 p.m. To 8 p.m. At the Harrison Curriculum Center (Rosenwald Gym), located at 706 W. 28th Ave. in Covington. This is an opportunity for City leaders and the public to share information and ideas about housing, employment, education and community involvement with input from helpful organizations, community residents and interested individuals. All are welcome to attend.
The Covington Police Department started off 2018 doing what they do best, helping one of the Covington Churches deliver meals to those a little less fortunate. On January 1st, the CPD continued their New Years Day tradition of helping the First United Methodist Church deliver hot meals to members of our community. The CPD appreciates their partnership with First United Methodist and all they do for our community. – Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz
There really is a lot to be said for living in a small community. True, there can be various challenges in many regards, but by and large, little compares to being a local resident. The phrase “It takes a village” is so true – for without a common commitment to a special way of life in a special place, there would be no cohesion and no unity – call it a tie that binds, whether spoken or unspoken. It manifests in the opportunities that foster community.
Yes, there are many noble causes being championed and heralded, a rotation of many fine and available venues, and a common spirit of generosity. The best thing is that it is genuine! From the shopkeepers and restaurants to the service providers, the love of community permeates and comforts.
I have a dear friend who lives on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. She calls it a “cow town” that grew and is still expanding and prospering. Since there is so much history to the city, the various areas each have their own distinct flavor and culture – over the years, we’ve spoken of the similarities between our “big city” (NOLA) and her “cow town.” Throughout the course of our friendship, we’ve kept up with one another’s moves, housing choices, and how they’ve reflected our own personal life changes and choices.
When I moved from close to the lake to just outside Covington and then to downtown Covington, she noted that there was a contentment and satisfaction that she hadn’t noticed before. When she visited at Thanksgiving recently, we walked the streets, visited the stores and restaurants, farmer’s market, etc., and she helped deepen my respect and affection for my riverside town. She remarked that she could see why I chose to live on the Northshore and why I chose Covington.
The St. Tammany Humane Society serves St. Tammany Parish as the only non-profit, non-governmental animal sheltering and welfare organization for more than 55 years. Their doors opened to the community’s neglected, abandoned and abused pets in 1953 by Holly Frederick Reynolds in memory of her cocker spaniel, Yankee Doodle Dandy, because she truly wanted to make a difference in the lives of orphaned animals. Today, the mission is the same, with several new programs and services in place to give abandoned pets a new leash on life, calling on the support of the community to continue the mission.
Summer is now halfway through and area schools are preparing to resume. In anticipation of the extra traffic during school zone times, Chief Lentz released a statement to the public this week:
“It is hard to believe that summer break for our kids is about over. Some schools return this Friday with the remaining going back on Monday. Please be extra careful during school hours. We will have extra officers out, monitoring the first couple of days as we work the kinks out of the traffic patterns. Also remember that all of our school zones are Hands Free areas.
As always, we ask for your patience and extra diligence as we protect our most precious assets, the kids of our community.” – Thanks, Chief Tim Lentz Covington Police Department 985-892-8500
L-R Capt. Terry Peyton, Capt. Brad Boogaerts, Cindy Rester (CCST), Captain Rene Marks, District Chief Kevin Adams. Photo by Jason Dyer, Fire Fighter.
The St. Tammany Parish Fire District 12 / Fire Fighters Association – Local 4800 gave a donation to Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany for the victims of the flood disaster last month. CCST would like to extend it’s heartfelt thanks and appreciation for this generous donation that will be used for the many in need! A community coming together makes all the difference in the world! Thank you to STPFD-12 / Fire Fighters Assn. -Local 4800!
You are cordially invited to the 1st Annual Esther Festival, to be held November 7, 2015, in Bogue Falaya Park in historic and beautiful Covington, Louisiana. The Esther Festival is a FREE admission family friendly outdoor festival, filled with lots of great food, games, live music & dance entertainment, beauty booths, fashion show and fun for people of all ages to enjoy.
The Token of Love Foundation is in the process of raising money to build their first home that will be named The Esther-Elizabeth House. This house will be a transitional place where women can go to begin the healing process of the devastating effects of various forms of abuse. The mission is to provide rehabilitation services to women who have suffered from abuse in the form of physical, mental, drug addiction and sex trafficking. Token of Love intends to provide housing, education, job training and faith based counseling to assist these women in returning to a normal life through the completion of the ” NEW LIFE program”. The goal is to help women to become confident, successful and productive members of the community. Token of Love aspires to walk along side these women by offering encouragement and love as we help them birth their dreams and unlock their God given destinies.
This event is to raise funds to begin the building of the house that will be called the ” Esther-Elizabeth”. Please remember that your donations are tax deductible and all funds will be used towards the purchase of the property for development. God Bless. Star Rooney, Founder Image Hasselbeck,Founder
Join the St. Tammany Art Association for a dual lecture by Carol Hallock and Mary Monk. Two great painting friends, who both work from life. However, they have totally opposite approaches, views, thoughts on how to see, what inspires them and different ways of creating their paintings. We are all unique in our approach. There is no one right way. Questions are welcome, paintings of their work will be displayed.
The lecture will take place Thursday, September 24, 2015 from 6:30 p.m. To 7:30 p.m. There is a $10 entrance fee for this event, reservations are welcome and accepted. education@sttammanyartassociation.org 985-892-8650
The Junior League of Greater Covington is hosting an open house for prospective members on Thursday, July 30 at 6:30pm at 529 North Columbia Street in Covington. The Junior League is a non-profit organization of women dedicated to helping the community of Greater Covington. Learn more at www.jlgc.net.
