ON POINTE

FOR MICHELLE HARVEY, DANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF HER LIFE. SHE STARTED TEACHING IN HIGH SCHOOL AND WOULD LATER OPEN HER OWN DANCE STUDIO BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK WITH LINDA FORD AT LINDA LAVENDER SCHOOL OF DANCE AND THE TWIN CITY BALLET COMPANY.

ARTICLE BY STARLA GATSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELLY MOORE CLARK

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER Michelle Harvey and her mother, Meg Page, ready to dance in The Nutcraker

“There’s no place like home” isn’t just a well-known mantra from The Wizard of Oz. It’s a phrase that sums up the path of Michelle Harvey’s career. For her, dance — particularly when it’s done in a Linda Lavender School of Dance (LLSD) studio or at a Twin City Ballet (TCB) performance — is home, and it has been since she first donned a pair of pink ballet slippers as a young girl.

“One of my neighbor friends started dancing,” Harvey recalls, “and my mother worked, so hers said, ‘Well, I’ll take Michelle, too.’ So, I went with my friend to dance at Linda Lavender School of Dance at age nine. That’s where it all began. I fell in love, especially with ballet. That was my favorite.”

Then, at age 10 with just one year of classes under her belt, Harvey expanded her training a bit. She would not only be dancing at LLSD but with the Monroe-based TCB, too. This experience only deepened her interest in ballet.

“That year was our Nutcracker,” she says of her first season as a company dancer. “I was a soldier and an angel, and I thought I was the star of the show.”

That was the first of many ballets for Harvey, and though she wasn’t technically the star then, she would go on to perform many roles during her tenure with TCB. She took the stage during TCB’s takes on several popular ballets including Coppelia, and at one point or another tackled nearly every role in the Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, including Arabian, Mirliton, Snow Queen, and Sugarplum Fairy.

Of all the company shows she was a part of, however, one stands out more than the rest of her 15-year Twin City career: a performance of The Nutcracker during which a 17-year-old Harvey shared the stage with her late parents, Meg and Charles Page, as they were included in the party scene of Act I.

She gets a bit teary-eyed as she shares this memory. It no doubt holds a special place in Harvey’s heart, but likely means a lot to many others as well given the Pages’ support of the local dance community. Through the years, the two of them proved to be just as dedicated to the ballet company and Linda Lavender studio as their daughter. Their countless hours of service, sponsorship, and commitment to the arts even earned them a Twin City Ballet Lifetime Membership.

Nowadays, Twin City Nutcrackers look a bit different for Harvey. Rather than commanding the stage as a gifted performer, she’s conducting rehearsals as one of the company’s four directors alongside Gretchen Jones, Linda Lou Bourland, and her own teacher, Linda Lavender Ford.

Teaching, Harvey says, stole her heart when she was just a senior in high school. Once she began assisting classes at LLSD, she knew dance instruction was the job she wanted to pursue. She attended the University of Louisiana Monroe and earned a degree in physical education, but she never really had plans to use it, she says. She was going to teach dance instead.

“It was challenging because you don’t think about yourself anymore,” she says as she remembers the transition from dancer and student to instructor and choreographer. “As a dancer, you worry about how you perform and how you look, but as a teacher, you’re more worried about your students. But I loved it. I found it very rewarding, and I still do.”

FOR THE LOVE OF DANCE Linda Lavender Ford instructing a dance class while Michelle Harvey, a student, listens.

The satisfaction Harvey found in teaching drove her to create even more opportunities for herself to lead students through adagio, petit allegro, and pirouette exercises at the ballet barre. Instead of working solely at Linda Lavender, she decided to open a studio of her own and teach there, too. She explains, “I saw a need for a studio in Rayville, so I opened it in 1980. I taught some wonderful children over there, and a lot of them I still have contact with.”

Rayville wouldn’t be as far from home as Harvey would fly, though. When life — and her husband’s job — led her to the Lone Star State, she found herself closing her studio, leaving LLSD, and heading to studios in Cedar Park and Georgetown, respectively. Eventually, though, the Harvey family — Michelle, her husband Bill, and her son Matthew — reached the end of their time in Texas, and they made their way back to Louisiana to help care for a sick Meg and Charles. When she came back to Monroe in 2005, Harvey resumed teaching dance at the studio in which she grew up, and she has been a beloved LLSD faculty member ever since.

Despite having dreamt of being a dancer since she was a little girl who saw a photo of a ballerina on a magazine cover — “I just thought, ‘I want to be that,’” she reveals — Harvey says her younger self would be surprised to see just how long her career has spanned and how many students she’s crossed paths with.

“When I first started teaching dance, I probably couldn’t foresee that I’d still be teaching at this age,” she admits. “I probably didn’t see how much I could impact [the students], but it’s definitely eye-opening to see what you can do and how much you can shape and mold dancers and guide their lives in the right direction.”

The shaping and molding of which Harvey speaks aren’t just teaching children to stretch their feet, straighten their knees, and bourree across the stage in pointe shoes, though. Dance, she explains, gives students traits they can carry into many other aspects of their lives.

Harvey says, “Not everybody goes on to be a professional dancer, but I feel like dance training takes them even further in their careers than they realize because they have confidence and discipline. Those contribute to whatever direction they want to go in.”

The characteristics and habits students pick up in a ballet class like the ones Harvey teaches are not unlike the ones she gleaned from her teachers. She draws inspiration from all kinds of instructors and choreographers, she says, from those who guest-teach and choreograph at Twin City’s

THE FOREVER BALLERINA I just feel like this is what God wanted me to do, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. When you go to work and you love what you do and you enjoy being around the kids, it’s not work. It’s pleasure. It’s joy,” says Harvey.

summer workshops to those she encounters at the Regional Dance America Southwest Festivals the company attends annually. Two of her most prominent influences are TCB’s first ballet company mistress and former Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company dancer, Madame Cecelia Kelly, and her successor, Linda Ford.

Like many men, women, and children in the Monroe-West Monroe area, Harvey has a soft spot for Ford. Ford’s selflessness and big heart, she says, are what make her an inspiration not just to Harvey, but to the

numerous students she has had a part in training since opening her studio over 60 years ago.

“I’m not even sure I can express into words what she means to me,” she says of her teacher, employer, and friend. “She’s always been my role model. I think of her as my second mom. She made me accountable and dependable and shaped me into the person I am today.”

Accountability and dependability weren’t the only things Harvey got from her beloved Ms. Linda. Impeccable technique, showmanship, and a genuine love of dance were also part of the deal. These gifts, especially the latter, are some she hopes to pass on to the young dancers she educates.

“I just want to teach them to come into the studio and love what they do, enjoy being around other children, take direction, and experience the joy of movement,” she says. “Just getting their bodies moving is so important nowadays with all the video games and cell phones and things that distract them and keep them sedentary all the time. I think it’s so important to keep moving. It’s vital.”

It doesn’t always happen, Harvey muses, but perhaps after learning to love moving their bodies through dance, a few of her current students will join the ranks of other TCB and Linda Lavender alumni and dance professionally. While creating prima ballerinas isn’t necessarily her primary objective, she says she hopes to see some of LLSD and Twin City’s dancers shoot at a few dance-related targets, adding, “I strive to do my best every day with all the dancers by encouraging them and trying to instill the love of dance because that’s what’s in me. I want to pass it on to them, and hopefully, they’ll realize how important it is and want to have dreams and goals like I did.”

Harvey knows dance to be a friend that sticks around, even long after the pointe shoes, tights, and leotards are hung up for the last time. Whether or not her influence leads her students down a path like hers or in a different direction, she says she believes they will always remain connected to the art form.

“There’s nothing like it,” Harvey says of dance. “Even if you leave it, it stays with you forever. You’ll always be a dancer, and I feel like I will be, too. It’s in your heart.”

The appreciation for the performing art is what fuels Harvey, and her passion is no doubt the secret of her over four-decade-long career. It runs so deep, she says, that she can’t picture who she would be had she never taken a dance class.

“[Dance] is my world,” she declares. “It’s my every day, and it has guided my path. I wake up every morning, and it’s what I think about. I just feel like this is what God wanted me to do, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it. When you go to work and you love what you do and you enjoy being around the kids, it’s not work. It’s pleasure. It’s joy.”

ASK A ULM PHARMACY STUDENT WHY HE/SHE wants to be a pharmacist and you will most likely hear something like “I want to help people get the care they deserve,” or “I want to make a difference in my community’s healthcare.”

They don’t wait until graduation to get out there and start achieving these goals. Most ULM College of Pharmacy (COP) students are involved in one or more professional organizations, participating in health fairs, educational presentations, immunization clinics, food drives, and numerous other community activities.

One example of this dedication is the St. Vincent De Paul Poor Man’s Run and Jambalaya Cook-off sponsored by the ULM Pharmacy Student Council. This April will mark the fifth year for the 5K/1-Mile Fun Run and the second year for the Jambalaya Cook-off. All proceeds from the day’s events go to our local St. Vincent De Paul Community Pharmacy.

St. Vincent De Paul Community Pharmacy serves 19 parishes in Louisiana, which include those parishes north of Alexandria and east of Shreveport. The pharmacy opened in Monroe in April 1999 and continues to serve our community. In that time, the charity pharmacy has filled over 230,000 prescriptions, reaching over 7,200 patients.

St. Vincent De Paul Community Pharmacy is part of the “National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics” (NAFC) that works to serve the working poor, uninsured, and medically underserved population. The NAFC utilizes volunteers and donations to provide health care in over 1,200 Free Health Clinics across the country to those who have no access to care and we are fortunate to have one of these clinics in Monroe.

In April 2021 over 250 runners participated in the Fourth Annual Poor Man’s Run, with six jambalaya teams competing in the cook-off, raising over $8,600 for St. Vincent De Paul.

The next Poor Man’s Run and Jambalaya Cook-off will be held on April 9, 2022, at the ULM College of Pharmacy, located at 1800 Bienville Drive, Monroe, Louisiana. It is a fun day for the entire family and we hope to have a great turn-out again this year.

If you would like to become an event sponsor, or would like to receive a sponsor information packet, please email Michelle White at mmassey@ulm.edu or call (318) 342-3800.

Watch the ULM College of Pharmacy Facebook Page or Instagram for more details on sponsorship, race registration, cook-off, and other activities.

BAYOU

ARTICLE BY

DAN CHASON

was a rough year for all of us. There were many losses due to Covid 19 and I lost friends, co-workers and acquaintances from my life because of this deadly virus and to other diseases or illnesses. They say that the older you get, the more funeral homes and hospitals you find yourself visiting. That is so very true. Last year I did a story called “My Nam Buddy” (which you can review/find on Bayou Outdoors search on page 11). Doyle McEacharn was my mentor, fishing buddy, squirrel hunting companion and just a guy I loved spending time with enjoying the outdoors. Doyle kept me laughing. It was just his funny ways, like when he would hang up from a phone call. Most folks will be like “see ya” or “talk to you later.” Doyle was always the same way on our regular calls, his last sign off was always “ok, good-bye.” I’ve never heard anyone else ever do that. He wore the most goofy hats fishing. I told him one time, “Doyle, I’ll buy you a good hat if you would wear it.” He would always laugh and say “Well, Big Boy, the hats you would buy wouldn’t fit my style.” He would then burst out laughing and I would join him. Doyle was a guy that you couldn’t help but like. Easy going and always eager to chase anything with hair or fins on it made him a friend I will never forget.

About the first of November in 2021, I tired of Facebook and social media and took a break. In late October, I had called Doyle and set up our annual “eat at the camp” where he and Coach Allen Ray Best would come and eat, visit and plan our annual squirrel hunt. Doyle didn’t sound the same as his over the top, eager attitude wasn’t there. “My gut don’t feel right, Dan. I’m gonna have to pass this weekend” which caused me no alarm or misgivings. Little did I know that a week later his son would be on Facebook asking for prayers for Doyle. Doyle would have a bout of pancreatitis that ended getting into his colon and taking him from us. I was at the camp 3 weeks later with my brother-in-law when he said, “I’m sorry to hear about Doyle.” I stopped the side by side and asked him what he was talking about. When he told me that Doyle had died, I had to get off the wheeler, walk around behind my camp and vomit. I was heartbroken. I knew right then that my life would change significantly. The many crappie trips, the annual squirrel hunt, the regular phone calls, plans for trips to wherever to fish...all of it.

Doyle loved animals. Kids and animals seemed to bring out a kid in Doyle. On our annual squirrel hunting trips, he along with Coach and another squirrel dog owner, Tommy Woodard, would join me for a whole month of chasing the bushy tails. Doyle loved to pick at Tommy and always said that “Tommy moves at the speed of smell.” Meticulous Tommy always had a great squirrel dog and it was another way to pick at Tommy when he would compare my lab Buddy with his dog.

Buddy was a rescue dog. Young, full of himself and one that had had very little human reaction as he was kept in a kennel by himself until right before duck season. The freedom he found with me could be seen in how he behaved and the dog he became. He was happy. He would retrieve ducks but Buddy’s love was squirrels. I noticed this as when I would look outside, Buddy would be watching the squirrels play in the trees. At first he would just run around and maybe sniff or prop up on the tree. His defining moment is when I shot a squirrel in the hind quarters with a pellet rifle and the squirrel bailed out on top of Buddy’s head. From that day forward Buddy literally hated squirrels. He became a premiere squirrel hunting dog and did so until I retired him in 2019 due to arthritis and heart issues at the age of 12. Buddy wasn’t just a hunting dog. I would daily load my trailer and boat and Buddy would always be right there wanting to jump in with me. If I didn’t take him to our lake home, he would lay down at my trailer and be there, no matter how long I fished until I returned. He would go fishing with me daily. He loved any kind of hunting including in his later days, literally in the box stand with me. Wherever I was Buddy wanted to be included. When he was young, we found out really quick that I had to take him to the camp. If I walked out of the house with camo on, Buddy was jumping at the back of the truck. So many wonderful memories I shared with this dog. He was a great companion and still today I sit down in my recliner and put my hand on the arm of it for that brown nose to move my hand to the top of his head. If I ignored him, he would join me in the recliner. I’ve had dogs that I bonded with in my 60 years but none came close to Buddy. Buddy disappeared around the first week of November doing what he loved... chasing the ladies. I don’t know what happened to him but my life has changed drastically due to this wonderful animal.

While squirrel hunting, Doyle’s big ribbing usually came when Tommy’s dog would bark and Doyle would not budge from the front seat

of my side-by-side. If Buddy barked, Doyle would smile and grab his gun. Of course, he had to make sure Tommy saw it as it was the confidence Doyle had in my dog which was even more fun if he could rag Tommy in the process. When we would return from our hunt, I would be in the camp. More times than I can remember, I would ask where Doyle was and why he wasn’t in the camp. “He’s petting that dang brown dog” would be the reply and sure enough there would be Doyle on the camp porch or pickup tailgate, loving and petting on Buddy as it to thank him for a great hunt. Few people or animals touch your soul. I can never remember a single argument, cross word or anger showed to me by this man. I can never remember nothing from Doyle and Buddy but kindness, love and a joint appreciation for the outdoors and for what we all enjoyed. I will miss Buddy. I will miss Doyle. Somehow I think Buddy met Doyle at heaven’s gates and they 2021 are there right now scanning the tall timber for a hiding squirrel. And they are both eternally happy. Happy hunting boys. Save a spot for me.

FOR YEARS, SPA BELLA HAS BEEN known for their relaxing massages and fantastic facials but in 2022, they are introducing something new! “We are constantly looking for ways to improve and serve our clients,” said owner Kristan Berry. “We want to offer the best products and technology.” Spa Bella recently introduced a new machine to the services they offer and they are already seeing amazing results. This BBL laser is the world’s most powerful IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) device on the market. It sets new standards in treating skin conditions associated with aging, active life-styles, and sun damage. The light energy delivered by BBL will gently heat the upper layers of your skin. The heat absorbed by the targeted areas will stimulate your skin cells to regenerate. This process will restore your skin to its natural beauty, making it clearer, smoother, vibrant and younger looking. This laser machine is an all in one, one stop shop for all things skin related. Here are some of the options they have -

BBL Corrective - Worried your freckles, age spots or rosacea make you look less radiant and older? With BBL they will be a thing of the past. The light energy delivered by BBL will stimulate cells to regenerate and typically with the first treatment you will start to see smoother, more even and vibrant skin. The photothermal energy will eliminate fine vessels that cause redness and reduce unwanted melanin that produces age and sun spots.

Forever Young BBL - a new approach to younger looking skin. This revolutionary treatment sends light energy deep into the skin to boost your body’s natural ability to fight again. The result? Skin that’s visibly younger looking, year after year! Forever Young BBL is not just for women and men who have experienced sun damage over the course of their life.

Forever Clear BBL - Get rid of acne at the speed of light! This cutting edge acne treatment uses the power of light to comfortably and effectively clear acne without creams or medicine.

Forever Bare BBL - Kiss goodbye the hassle and discomfort of shaving, painful waxing and tweezing! Using gentle, yet effective BBL energy to heat hair follicles, the Forever Bare BBL treatment is as comfortable as a hot stone massage. The result is hair removal that’s more comfortable, safer, and faster than other traditional treatments.

SkinTyte - SkinTyte uses advanced infrared light to deeply heat your skin while cooling and protecting the entire treated surface. Light energy is delivered in rapid, gentle pulses to initiate the body’s natural healing process, which leads to the appearance of increased skin firmness.

HALO - This treatment precisely targets damaged skin to dramatically improve the visible signs of aging, restoring the glow that sun, time and stress have depleted from your skin

Spa Bella has also added two award winning skin care lines - OSEA and SkinBetter Science. OSEA stands for the core elements of wellness - Ocean, Sun, Earth and Atmosphere and is a clean vegan skincare line powered by the sea. SkinBetter is full of award-winning products that are backed by a diverse team with decades of experience in clinical research and development and furthered by a continued commitment to the study of skincare science.

The new year is a good time to implement a new skin care regimen or correct some of the things that have bothered you. Put your best face forward this year with Spa Bella!

NORTH LOUISIANA ORTHOPAEDIC & Sports Medicine Clinic is excited to announce that it will soon open its much-anticipated orthopaedic clinic at 1500 Commerce Street in Ruston.

This new state-of-the-art facility will offer the same advanced and specialized orthopaedic services that North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic has provided to Ruston area residents over the last two decades and has provided to citizens throughout northeast Louisiana since 1951. In addition, the new facility will incorporate the latest technology and equipment to complement our physician’s ability to diagnose and perform surgical procedures. The facility will also offer other essential patient support services, including x-ray, advanced diagnostic imaging (MRI) and outpatient physical and occupational therapy services.

Construction of this new orthopaedic facility certainly represents North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic’s commitment to advance the overall quality of healthcare services offered to the citizens of Ruston and surrounding communities. The clinic’s highly trained surgeons are prepared to fulfill this commitment by providing exceptional orthopaedic care at this new Ruston facility, while continuing to forge mutually supportive and collaborative relationships with Ruston area surgical facilities.

Dedicated to providing you with the compassionate and experienced care you deserve, the North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic confidently maintains the mission it was founded on 70 years ago — to provide specialized state-of-theart medical services through high-quality, customized treatment plans focused on your needs and goals. Why look beyond your own backyard when all of your orthopaedic needs can be taken care of right here at home?

At North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic, our commitment to delivering excellence in orthopaedic care continues through our services. • Bone Density Testing • Center for Osteoporosis Management • Digital X-Ray • Durable Medical Equipment (DME) • Electromyography (EMG) & Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) • Fracture/ Injury Care Clinic • LeanMD Weight Loss Program • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) • Mako® Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology • Occupational Therapy • Orthopaedic After Hours Clinic • Physical Therapy • Regenerative Medicine

Monroe Clinic | Monroe Rehab Ruston Clinic | West Monroe Clinic

THE MOMENT IS SOON TO BE HERE! Phase II assisted living and memory care apartment buildings that have been carefully planned and constructed are opening on the city block campus of The Gardens at Georgia Tucker. New residents are starting the new year by joining others who have been enjoying their lifestyle and activities in the original phase setting in north Monroe’s Garden District.

Everything that made the original facility desirable continues into this new phase, plus even more amenities have been added. Among the new features is a fitness area where exercise routines will be led by local NextLevel Health & Fitness, and each participant will have a unique nutritional and exercise plan for optimal health and well-being.

Enhancing day-to-day living is a new dining area with a gourmet chef-designed kitchen where all meals of the day are prepared and served for both Phase I and Phase II assisted living residents. Memory Care apartments have an exclusive dining area that is conducive to residents’ comfort and security.

Newer amenities also extend to the exterior grounds where an inner courtyard includes areas for walking and relaxing for residents and guests surrounded by foliage that will be beautiful to enjoy this coming spring.

Popular shared endeavors such as musical entertainment, movies & games, birthday parties, themed events, church activities, and more are continuing in the gracious atrium gathering space in the original vintage building. There will also be shopping excursions, and complimentary transportation is provided for medical visits.

There are one-bedroom & two-bedroom assisted living apartments in both Phase I and Phase II buildings, as well as one-bedroom apartments in the Phase II Memory Care building. The Memory Care services include all the expected amenities along with an individualized plan of care to maximize quality of life for your loved one. Full accreditation and a certified staff ensure proper attention for residents in this building.

The unparalleled comfort, convenience, and amenities of The Gardens At Georgia Tucker assure residents of an environment that can truly be called home. You can hear for yourself from some of the residents expressing their contentment when you visit GeorgiaTucker.com to view testimonial videos and comments.

For the best in gracious assisted living, take a closer look at The Gardens at Georgia Tucker. Reservations and lease deposits are being accepted now for the Phase II assisted living and memory care apartments. Please call 318-538-0040 to schedule a tour appointment. The administration staff will be pleased to show you around, answer any questions, and provide leasing & lifestyle information for you or for a loved one. Visit GeorgiaTucker.com for more details.

January is a good time to plan this year’s garden indoors in the cozy comfort of an easy chair with a mug of hot coffee! (Note: As I write this on the 15th day of December in 2021, the predicted high is 75 degrees. So, adjust sitting location and beverage choice accordingly!) Whether it’s a vegetable garden, herb bed, or a simple foundation planting, draw your beds out the way you want them and select sites by taking special note of things like what direction the beds are facing, how the sun moves across the space throughout the day, what tall structures are nearby that may provide shade, and how close a watering source is. Research the plants you’re interested in. Are they annuals (from seed to seed in one season) or perennials? How tall do they get and how much space will they take up in the garden? What diseases and pests are they susceptible to? Or, more importantly, will this even grow here? I’m already mapping out the Louisiana Kitchen Garden Exhibit at the zoo, a veritable game of chess with plants!

January is also the time to be getting seed catalogs in the mail and placing orders. A good seed catalog can help you make informed decisions on what to buy so you don’t throw your money away. Hybrid vegetables will usually be designated with an “F1” notation. The seeds produced by an F1 hybrid make up the F2 generation and will either be sterile, or will yield plants that are not the variety you’re interested in. Tomato varieties designated with “VFN” mean that those varieties are resistant to Verticillium and Fusarium wilt, and nematodes. A number of days should also be given that explains how soon after sowing seeds you can expect either flowering or a harvest. All of this homework can and should be done indoors before you turn over the first shovel full of soil. Remember, the “Non-GMO” label is a marketing ploy. There are no GMO crops available to home gardeners.

January is also the perfect month for installing raised beds. Raised bed gardening has become all the rage, but let’s make sure raised beds are used for the right reasons. First, they can be great space savers. They are essentially containers, and they can be built to suit just about any space. Second, raised beds are the way to go if native soil doesn’t drain well. They provide extra space above the soil line for water percolation and for root system expansion

> Good soil is biologically active and has an earthy aroma. < Raised beds improve both drainage and root system growth.

Raised beds are a great option if space is limited or if drainage is an issue.

Soil in raised beds should be easily worked with just a shovel.

which is crucial for most plants. Whereas the green, above-ground parts of plants give off oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis, the non-photosynthetic, underground parts need oxygen. Soils that stay saturated provide an anaerobic habitat for plant roots. Plants not adapted to having submerged roots literally drown. Gardening in raised beds is a practical solution to drainage issues. Finally, the gardener controls what kind of growing medium or soil the bed is filled with, and how much material is put in the bed. Ideally, the bed should be filled and periodically topped off. I’ll never understand why gardeners who choose to use raised beds fill them only half full. That practice just short-changes the plant. Soil settles over time, so needing to top off a raised bed periodically should be expected.

Raised beds, however, aren’t for every gardener as they do have their downsides. They are often colonized by fire ants more readily than in-ground beds or rows. They require more frequent watering than inground beds, and because of this, they require more frequent fertilizer applications. There is usually some up front expense with building raised beds. Ironically, much of the initial cost is associated with soil or growing medium. Recent lumber prices have also been a deterrent for many firsttime gardeners interested in raised beds. If you’re thinking about installing raised beds, keep a few things in mind.

Raised beds can be fabricated from a wide variety of materials. You don’t have to purchase the most expensive building materials or prefab kits to have productive raised beds. Make them from what best suits your wallet.

When filling a raised bed, remember to calculate a volume (cubic feet or yards) and not simply an area. A raised bed 12 ft long, 1 ft tall, and 4 ft. wide will provide a space of 48 cubic feet. However, bulk soil is typically sold by the yard. So, divide 48 cubic feet by 27 (a yardstick is 3 ft long so 1 cubic yard is 27 cubic feet). So, 48 cubic feet is 1.77 cubic yards of bulk soil. Go ahead and make it 2 cubic yards because as the soil settles, the bed will need to be topped off.

Build raised beds that are ergonomic. Making beds too wide will make reaching the center difficult. How do I know this? I learned the hard way. Beds that are 4 ft. wide are much easier to work than 6 ft. wide beds.

The addition of compost will improve the soil’s tilth or workability as well as the soil’s fertility. If you know me, then you know I swear by homemade compost. The addition of chopped leaves during fall or winter will also keep your soil biologically active, which any good soil is.

To learn more about raised beds, see our publication #3360 by going to www. lsuagcenter.com.

Tune in to Louisiana Living every Tuesday at 4:30 for In the Garden with Kerry Heafner of the LSU AgCenter.

On Tuesday, November 30th, Jan Strickland hosted a book signing at the Bayou DeSiard Country Club for the release of her new book Interiors for Living: A Collection of Rooms by Jan Strickland. Friends, family and fans gathered to celebrate the interior decorator on her new release. The first edition copies have sold out, but there will be a second release coming in January. Reserve your books by emailing jan.h.strickland@gmail.com or look for them to be released in local retailers in the first quarter. Jan Strickland grew up in Rayville, LA and graduated from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a B.S. in Interior Design. She is the lead interior decorator for the St. Jude Dream Home, and has over 14 years of experience in interior consulting and decorating field.

1 Jan Strickland, Cathy Strickland, Angela and Myrt Hales 2 Clint and Sue Haddock 3 Kay Chandler and Roxie Woods 4 Jan Strickland and Onna Gallagher 5 Dallas and Judy Humble 6 Susan Clark and Lindsey Lowe 7 Courtney Thomas, Jan Strickland and Ashley Hubenthal 8 Barry and Gayla Stevens 9 Jan Strickland and Billy Boughton 10 Jan Strickland, Lori Ann and Karl Kaufman 11 Jan Strickland and Joe Holyfield 12 Alex Barham, Jan Strickland, Tori Fisher and Sara Barham 13 Jan Strickland and Misti Cordell 14 Jan Strickland, Griffyn and Heather Grant 15 Jan Strickland and Jo Tiffany Faulk 3

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BY JUDY WAGONER

BIOVITALITY, A DIVISION OF Professional Laser Center, opens its doors January 1st, becoming Northeast Louisiana’s premier IV Nutrient Infusion Center. BioVitality has one purpose in mind: to restore hope… and optimize the body’s innate ability to heal from within, through the delivery of functional or natural medicine.

BioVitality offers a wide range of services that treat diverse health and beauty conditions. Our unique process centers on your individual history, needs, and desires. We offer IV nutrient infusions, IM injectables, the world’s top nutritional supplement brands, plus a plethora of aesthetic services, all in one beautiful, relaxing location., Our IV Vitamin and Nutrient Bar is designed to provide our clients with cutting edge, customized vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and amino acid nutrients in a highly absorbable IV infusion. We live in a time when obtaining the needed amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants is difficult with diet alone. When we consume foods or supplements in pill or liquid form, they need to travel through our digestive system before they can start being utilized by our bodies. It’s estimated that as much as 50% of the population has issues with absorption in their digestive systems, meaning they never get the full benefits of the nutrients they take in. When you send vitamins, minerals and hydration directly into the bloodstream, you bypass the digestive system altogether. Your body gets 100% of the benefit of these powerful ingredients that are exactly the right recipe for you.

Specific benefits of IV nutrient infusion therapy may include improved immune function, increased energy, more restorative sleep, decreased stress and anxiety, enhanced mood, and overall enhancement of your wellbeing. It’s a powerful therapy for such issues as Asthma, Allergies, Alzheimers, Athletic Enhancement & Recovery, AutoImmune Disease, Fatigue, Chronic Epstein Bar Virus, Migraine Headaches, Viruses, Dehydration, and Immune Support.

BioVitality offers a variety of “signature” IV cocktails to choose from to treat hangovers, fatigue, jet lag, and enhance athletic performance. Our medically trained Nurse Practitioner, Elizabeth Hoskins, can help you decide which treatment is right for you. Choose from IV drips, IM boost shots, or medical weight loss solutions. Our programs target a wide variety of health issues and objectives. You can sit in our relaxing IV lounge chairs and read, text, or simply rest while being infused with vital nutrients. Most infusions take 30-45 minutes to administer.

With 18 years of experience in aesthetics, we can also guide and help you on your journey to look and feel more youthful. We offer Botox, Filler, PDO Thread Lift, Hormone Replacement, including estrogen and testosterone Pellets, as well as several Laser treatments and Microneedling. From the minute you walk in the door, your experience at BioVitality, a division of Professional Laser Center, will be an exquisite and memorable one.

BioVitality, a divison of Professional Laser Center, is located on the second floor in the beautiful Premier Plaza in Monroe. Our address is 1900 N. 18th Street, Suite 209. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 318-361-9066.