Make a wish: 4-year-old cancer patient gets dream treehouse

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published December 1 in The Heights Observer

A custom-built treehouse, completed this fall by Make-A-Wish Foundation volunteers, is a dream come true for 4-year-old Austin Gallagher, who has cancer of the kidneys.
Even before entering kindergarten, Austin has already lived through more hospital visits, CT scans and surgeries than many people do in a lifetime. In 2007, when a visit to the doctor showed something unusual in his X-ray, one pediatrician recommended a trip to see a pediatric cardiologist. After thorough investigation, parents Mark and Krissy Gallagher received Austin’s diagnosis: bilateral Wilms tumor, which affects both kidneys and usually requires partial or complete kidney removal.
Three years, six abdominal surgeries, and 130 days in the hospital later, Austin became one of about 200,000 children Make-A-Wish has reached out to during the past 30 years.

Documentary sheds light on successful minority-owned businesses

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published September 1 in The Heights Observer
If a documentary’s story is not worth telling, flashy cinematography and dramatic music won’t overcome an audience’s lack of interest, according to Tim Gaydos, a videographer for a new documentary by local filmmaking group Educo Films.
In this case, Gaydos said, the subject matter speaks for itself.
The 30-minute documentary, a concept developed by the company’s producer, Stephon J. Davis, aims to educate viewers about how to support and create successful African American-owned businesses in the Cleveland Heights area.
“I found a lot of times I was standing there with the camera, listening in, and I forgot I was there filming it,” Gaydos said. “I got sucked into what they’re saying because it’s so interesting. The point they’re making and discussing is so valuable. It comes across very well in terms of engaging the audience.”
The film company takes its name from a Latin word meaning “to draw forth or bring out.” Davis said that definition echoes the goal of the new documentary, “Creating Successful Black Owned Businesses.”

Candy In Combat Zones

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published in the May/June 2010 issue of Candy & Snack TODAY

In areas of conflict, candy serves as a welcome boost of energy for hard-charging soldiers, a valuable reminder of home and a bridge-builder to the local population.

In a massive show of support, suppliers, retailers, individuals and volunteer organizations send out millions of care packages and cases of candy to U.S. troops each year. John Hanson, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at the United Service Organizations (USO), reveals it sent almost two million care packages in 2009.

“Chocolate and candy have been a part of the military experience for a long, long time,” he says, noting candy ties in with the overall purpose of care packages, which he says is to let troops know U.S. citizens are thinking about them and hoping for their safe return. He says the USO looks for items that stand up to the conditions in combat zones and provide a lift to soldiers both physically and mentally.

Grant aids Fairmount Group expansion

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published May 3 in The Heights Observer

Entrepreneur Dawn Hanson’s company, The Fairmount Group, will be going global with much greater ease because of a grant from British Airways.

Fairmount Group received one of the 100 Business Opportunity grants given out by British Airways. It will enable Hanson to travel to Europe, meet with clients and expand her business from her small office in Cleveland Heights to cities in Finland and Denmark. The company conducts market research, manages brands and plans special events.

The grant includes airfare for 10 round-trip business class flights, five global shipments with British Airways World Cargo and $1,000 in hotel accommodations at Courtyard by Marriott.

Walk aims to conquer childhood cancer

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published April 6 in The Heights Observer
The first CureSearch walk in Cleveland, planned for May 8 at Wade Oval from 9 to 11:30 a.m., will raise awareness and funding for childhood cancer research.
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children, according to CureSearch. The organization, which works with the Children’s Oncology Group and National Childhood Cancer Foundation to fund research, will play a major role in the Northeast Ohio CureSearch Walk to Conquer Childhood Cancer, according to cochair Stephen Crowley.
Crowley and his wife, Cynthia Van Lenten, are organizing the walk. Posters advertising the event feature photographs of their daughter, Olivia, who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in 2002. She was 7 years old. For the next three years, she underwent treatment, including chemotherapy in hospitals from Memphis to New York. Described by her father as a vibrant child who loved soccer and wanted to be a comedian, she died in 2005.
"She was full of life, and it made it really hard to see that something like this could happen to somebody like that," Crowley said. "My wife and I did everything we could to try to save her. We spent a lot of energy and resources trying to find a cure for her, so we decided to put the same energy and work into trying to help other children and other families."

TavCo’s new owner launches upscale menu

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published March 2 in The Heights Observer
The Tavern Company has a new owner and a new menu.
Chris Armington, who worked for 12 years at Brennan’s Colony as a bartender, server and manager, now owns The Tavern Company, also known as TavCo. “It’s always been a dream of mine to own my own business,” he says.
After signing the papers last November, his dream came true, and in January, Armington introduced a new menu for 2010. “If you’re a bar on Lee Road, you have to have wings and burgers, so we do that. But we also wanted to offer things that are a little more high end, and not be like every other bar on Lee Road.”
Additions to the menu—such as the seared tuna sandwich with orange pickled fennel and tarragon aioli on a crispy portabella mushroom bun, which replaces the old menu’s tuna melt—provide a more sophisticated take on the restaurant’s previous offerings.

Social Media: Reaching Out To Consumers

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published in the November/December issue of Candy and Snack Today magazine

The Internet connects suppliers and retailers with millions of consumers every day. Discover how networking sites can gauge shoppers’ attitudes, raise brand awareness and reinforce positive associations with the category.

As candy retailers and suppliers explore sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, they are realizing their impact on brand awareness and company credibility.

Social media is definitely sparking consumers, with more than 105 million in the U.S. using these sites. What’s more, two out of three participants in a recent social media marketing industry report noted an increase in web site traffic, subscribers or opt-in lists after investing just six hours per week. 

Vice Mayor Adele Zucker retires

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published Dec. 1 in The Heights Observer

After nine years as Vice Mayor for University Heights, Adele Zucker will leave office this month. Her contributions include keeping a close eye on neighborhood services and never having to cut staff, something she attributes to frugal management by the mayor and previous councils.

Looking back, Zucker says she is proud of her accomplishments.

“To be reelected six times, I think that says I served the residents well. Because of them, I’m here, and I just love the city. It’s a great city to live in and bring up your children,” she says.

At the farmers market

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published Aug. 13, 2009 in The Jambalaya News

A familiar sight – juicy green watermelons piled high in the back of a pickup truck – lures shoppers to the end of Bilbo Street at the Charlestown Farmers Market early Saturday morning.

Scotty LeBleu of DeQuincy has been selling these Charleston Grays and Jubilees from Singer for a few months, but he plans to grow his own watermelons next year. It’s a good thing, too. When he came to the market in the spring with his homegrown lettuce, customers couldn’t get enough.

“It stays fresh much longer,” he says. “I picked it like the day before. That’s what’s so good about the market – everything’s fresh.”

Buying natural produce from local vendors is also a simple way to go green. Farmers markets offer products that are not tainted by hormones or pesticides. Unlike a supermarket, a farmers market takes place outdoors and requires a minimal amount of electricity. The vendors live nearby, so they consume less fuel than it would take to transport goods from a farm across the country.

The Charlestown Farmers Market has moved three times since its opening in March of 2005, but it now takes place each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. behind the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center in Lake Charles. It is one of about 4,800 farmers markets currently operating in America, according to the U.S. Agricultural Marketing Service.

Go Green - Not Broke

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published July 2, 2009 in The Jambalaya News

In some cases, going green is synonymous with going broke.

Hybrid cars and organic produce are expensive, but there are ways to conserve precious energy that will also keep you from emptying your wallet.

A recently completed housing development in Lake Charles is providing a new way to find out just how much energy – and money – people can save by going green.

The developer will have the opportunity to study and compare electric bills of a house with average fixtures to figures from an identical house with energy-efficient upgrades, according to CJ Tech’s Charles Abshire, the electrical contractor.

SAB hits wall with Facebook

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published March 25, 2009 in The Current Sauce

With Student Activities Board elections around the corner, some prospective representatives-at-large may face a conundrum concerning electronic promotion on the social networking Web site Facebook.

Marquis Montgomery, a senior Computer Information Systems major, is one of 30 NSU students running for a SAB rep-at-large position.

"I started an event on Facebook just to campaign and kind of get my name out there," he said. "That way, if somebody wanted to find out about my platform, they could just send me a message."

Last week, candidates applied for positions and received a set of campaign guidelines. One rule states that candidates who relied strictly on fliers and face-to-face campaigning must take down all signs that are within 50 feet of the polls on the day before the election. Failure to do so may result in disqualification and removal from the race.

But because there is currently no rule concerning the use of social media in the campaign, some students may encounter confusion when election day comes. Montgomery said he does not think the SAB executive board will require students to delete their Facebook events or groups on the day before the election.

"I don't think it applies to Facebook; I think it has to do more with the campaigning that's done on campus," Montgomery said.

Many students, though, access Facebook in on-campus computer labs. Some students use their cellular phones to check Facebook while in the Student Union. If the SAB decides to hold candidates responsible for electronic media's impact on voters on the day before the election, many of them may be disqualified from the race.

Phi Mu groundbreaking site

Phi Mu Groundbreaking Slideshow - Life

Criminal justice department offers tuition assistance to reserve officers

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published March 18, 2009 in The Current Sauce

Only four students have submitted applications for the newly implemented Reserve Tuition Assistance program, which gives $500 awards to criminal justice majors who add firsthand crimefighting experience to their resumés.

Joe Morris, head of NSU's criminal justice department, said students who work 100 hours as part of the program will receive $500 toward tuition per quarter.

The academy for this program will begin at the end of this month.

In a small city such as Natchitoches, seven police officers might seem like a sufficient amount of protection to some, but there are times when the police department needs additional assistance to keep citizens safe.

Pi Kappa Phi dinner pushes for America

by KELLI FONTENOT and TAYLOR GRAVES

Published March 11, 2009 in The Current Sauce

At one of a dozen tables in the Friedman Student Union Ballroom Tuesday night, junior journalism major Cody Bourque leaned over his plate of lasagna to turn on his iPhone without using his hands.

The rest of the people at his table chuckled as they watched him repeatedly hit the touch screen with the tip of his nose.

"I'm updating Twitter," he said.

Across the table, another diner - who was blindfolded - said, "I feel so left out of this joke."

A few people chuckled, but a long pause followed as everyone realized the depth of his comment.

While the statement was offered in jest, it illustrated the alienation that people with disabilities encounter on a daily basis. Bourque explained that his work with such people and their families has inspired him to support Push America.

At Pi Kappa Phi fraternity's benefit banquet for Push America Tuesday night, three people at each table received a colored poker chip. Each color represented a different disability that the person was expected to portray for the rest of the evening. The rest of the people at the table were instructed to help their friends.

'Assassins' trust no one

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published March 11, 2009 in The Current Sauce

The parking lot adjacent to the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) building was left sparsely populated Monday morning, when it is normally difficult to find a space.

This curious change was due in part to the strategies of several students who are taking part in the second annual "CAPA Assassins" game.

"This is a really great way to meet people because you're trying to find somebody you don't know, or you're looking for someone who doesn't know you," senior liberal arts major Joshua Nuss said.

Nuss, the treasurer of Phi Mu Alpha fraternity, is monitoring the game this year.

Students win at SAB Price is Right"

by KELLI FONTENOT

Published March 4, 2009 in The Current Sauce

The Student Activities Board showed students a glimpse of the ever-fluctuating economy last night with "The Price Is Right," an event modeled after the beloved television show.

SAB Secretary and Treasurer Eddie Higginbotham took command of the microphone at Tuesday's event, channeling the enthusiasm and charisma of a classic game show host. Higginbotham, a junior health and exercise science major, said he thought of Bob Barker while he was in the spotlight.

Graf guides team through game of basketball, game of life

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published Feb. 11, 2009 in The Current Sauce

Jennifer Graf, Lady Demons basketball head coach, said she could only think of one thing she dislikes about coaching basketball.

"It's absolutely beautiful outside in July, and we have to sit in a gym that's about 40 degrees," she said. "I swear, it's freezing cold in there."

Whether she's relaxing on Sibley Lake or attempting to wakeboard, Graf definitely prefers being outside on sunny days.

Seeking refuge from Tuesday's rain in her office in Prather Coliseum, Graf said most of her outdoor adventures take place during the summer because she spends most of her time during the rest of the year focusing on work.

Graf, 30, is now in her fifth season as head coach for the Lady Demons.

LOB pageant winner poised for next competition

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published Feb. 11, 2009 in The Current Sauce

Brittany Pippin, a freshman psychology major, said she never expected to win the title of Miss Northwestern Lady of the Bracelet.

"When they called my name, I just couldn't believe it," she said. "I still don't think it has really set in yet. It's such an honor."

Mandi Ridgdell, the 2008 Lady of the Bracelet, crowned Pippin Saturday at the 2009 LOB pageant in A. A. Fredericks auditorium. Pippin will receive a full scholarship to Northwestern State and will represent the university at the Miss Louisiana pageant in Monroe this spring.

SGA bill deemed unconstitutional

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published Feb. 4, 2009 in The Current Sauce
After weeks of deliberation, the NSU Supreme Court voted Tuesday that the lowering of executive board scholarships was unconstitutional.

A section of the Student Government Association constitution - Article 4, section 4, letter B - was deemed invalid and will remain as such until students have the opportunity to vote on the status of the executive board scholarships in the spring.

NSU Supreme Court Chief Justice Kyle Domangue and Justice Austin Jesmore headed up the hearing. Jesmore explained that the bylaw clearly violates Article 9, Section 1, part D of the constitution, which states that a two-thirds vote is required for all bills except those concerning the media board and the executive board scholarship.

Ladies prepare for Bracelet battle

by KELLI FONTENOT
Published Feb. 4, 2009 by The Current Sauce

Five of the 10 Lady of the Bracelet pageant contestants met on a Thursday night to make plans for the hectic rehearsal schedule, discuss pageant rules and regulations, and of course, practice answering interview questions.

"What is your favorite book and why?" was one classic.

"I actually really did like Dante's 'Inferno,' but I don't think that will go over really well," junior liberal arts major Shanice Major said.

Sitting around a table in the Student Activities Board office, the contestants laughed and chimed in with some of their beloved titles.

"Somebody's going to say 'Twilight,' I just know it," freshman hospitality, management and tourism major Melanie Kay said.

"I'm in love with Edward Cullen," freshman Brittany Pippin joked. "I would marry him."

"OK, ladies," said Julia Anderson, the pageant coordinator, a patient reminder that they should be concentrating on the work at hand. She announced the dates and times of upcoming rehearsals and committee meetings as the girls pulled out their cell phones.

In jeans and sweatshirts, the girls didn't appear to be organizing a pageant. They were just hanging out, giggling, joking around.

But the contestants have a hand in preparing for - and even publicizing - the event. At the committee meeting, they made lists of locations for posters and attached stickers to gold wrapped mints to promote the event. The girls also composed their talent introductions and folded up T-shirts to sell as promotion for the pageant and Children's Miracle Network.