Slidell's Hospice House a Special Place

 St. Tammany’s Hospice House is a special place that is a nonprofit three bedroom, three bath place to stay. The facility operates like a bed and breakfast and houses those who have little time left here on earth. Guests who come to the house have been advised by doctors they have a limited time to live. The house will serve guests for up to 90 days according to Miranda Parker, Executive Director and there is no charge for their stay.

“We take care of them 24 hours a day, and we do every bit of it for free. We don’t charge the families or the patients, we don’t charge the insurance or Medicare. It’s completely, 100 percent free,” says Parker.

In order for it to be free, the house runs off of donations and fundraising that happens throughout the year. The most famous of the fundraisers is the yearly Crawfish Cook-off in Slidell. It is a separate organization from hospice agencies. The difference is that agencies take care of patients in their own homes while the house is a place to stay.

“We provide top-notch care for these patients, getting one-on-one attention, 24 hours a day. If they want an ice cream sandwich at 3 in the morning, they get an ice cream sandwich at 3 in the morning,” boasts Parker.

As for family and caregivers, it gives them a respite and helps them to get adjusted to their new normal. They can get back to being a family member and not feel the whole responsibility of being a caretaker.

Even though it is only a three bedroom home, the house has welcomed 61 patients in 2021 and over 55 in 2022. The house has six nurses who rotate in shifts so that patients will have care 24/7. These nurses are also there for patients to talk to and visit with and they are not required to be registered nurses or even licensed. The staff is trained to help patients in their current situation and help their families through it.

“That is what they’re born to do. I 100 percent believe that. It takes a special person to provide the love and support at the end of life. No one else wants to admit we’re mortal but it’s just something I think we need to get more comfortable with, and someone needs to know what your wishes are. It’s either a hard conversation now, or a hard conversation for someone else later,” says Gladys Wilkins, a nurse at Hospice House.

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Aldi Soon To Have Locations on the Northshore

 Aldi has already opened its first store in Louisiana earlier this year and has announced it will open three additional locations around the New Orleans area. Those locations will be Metairie, Slidell, and Covington.

Aldi is a German-based company that began to establish stores in the U.S. in 1976. Now there are over 2,100 stores in 37 states. It soon will become the country's third-largest grocery retailer in terms of location. Most stores are around 12,000 square feet and have less than a dozen employees.

The first store is located at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Parkway in
Lafayette opened in February 2022. The company purchased the old Toys "R" Us building in Slidell for $2 million which will be converted into an Aldi. They are planning a store in Marrero which will be in the Old Belle Promenade Mall. Land has also been purchased in Baton Rouge and stores are planned for Lafayette and New Iberia.

This comes as no surprise as Aldi is building a regional headquarters and distribution hub in Loxley, Alabama. The $100 million project, close to Mobile, will be completed at the end of the year. The new project will service close to 100 Gulf Coast locations which include southern parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia, along with the Florida Panhandle.

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A New Steakhouse In Slidell

 St. Tammany Parish could see a new steakhouse at the proposed Camellia Bay Casino in Slidell. The restaurant will be opened by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and renowned chef John Folse.

Brees is confident in his partnership with chef John Folse who Brees describes as a "Louisiana culinary icon." Folse not only is a chef but also does TV & radio work, a restaurant developer and the founder of the John Folse Culinary Institute.

Brees, who just retired from the Saints the past year supports the casino project. Not only will there be a casino resort but also a $35 million youth sports complex that will be funded by P2E the company that will bring the casino to Slidell. Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) is a development company based out of Los Angeles, California. The company will build the casino and operate it.

The Camellia Bay Casino plans to have a total of seven restaurants on site. The casino will be located in East St. Tammany Parish just outside of the city of Slidell. The $325 million project is described as a luxury resort and will also feature an Outdoor Amphitheater, resort-style pool & lazy river, a new dock & Marina, and a convention center.

The revenue and jobs from the casino would be an advantage for St. Tammany. The project is on hold until residents will vote on whether to reverse the 1996 vote to pan casinos in St. Tammany.

“I know that winning is about building the right team. Chef John Folse is a Louisiana culinary icon. And P2E has a proven track record of successfully building first-class resorts like I know Camellia Bay will be. That's why I'm so excited to announce our collaboration on our first signature steakhouse. We want everyone to come and experience the exceptionally high standard we have for our food here in Southeast Louisiana, with an added touch of my personal history playing for a region I love so much,” said Drew Brees.

“In Louisiana, you can’t have a good time without great food. I am proud to be a part of this tremendous opportunity for St. Tammany Parish,” said Folse. “Together with the team at Camellia Bay, we will build a first class-restaurant that is worthy of the association with one of Louisiana’s Greatest of All-Time - Drew Brees. We hope voters in St. Tammany will vote yes so we can make this a reality.”

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This Year’s Slidell Heritage Festival Will Be Open to the Public

 

After last year's cancellation due to COVID-19, it is exciting news that the annual Independence Day celebration will be open to the public this year. The Heritage Fest originally just planned to have the firework celebration this summer without the full Slidell Heritage Festival.

This year will mark the 23rd annual Slidell Heritage Festival which will be held at Heritage Park in Olde Towne Slidell. Patrons will enjoy food trucks, live music and a fireworks show. The festival is free and will be held Saturday, July 3, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Along with the food trucks, the Rotary Club of Slidell and Rotary Club of Slidell-Northshore will sell bottled water and soft drinks. The proceeds from the sales will benefit five local nonprofits and the Rotary Clubs which will use the money to fund community programs.

“We felt like people needed to come together to celebrate the nation and overcoming COVID-19,” said Trey Brownfield, chairman of the Slidell Heritage Festival Committee. “This is a great chance for the community to heal after such a tough year.”

Even though the event is free, donations are encouraged. There will be drop-offs at the gates and at various points throughout the festival. The five local nonprofits that will benefit from the proceeds are the Slidell Police Association, Community Christian Concern, the Good Samaritan Ministry, the Slidell Church Basketball League and the Boy Scouts of America, Cypress District.

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The New Slidell Casino Will Come With Some Awesome Amenities

 

Residents and the casino resort developers gathered in the Slidell Municipal Auditorium for a “show-and-tell” of what’s to be included with the $250 million casino resort. St. Tammany Parish will be the home of the future casino resort that will be located on 120-acres close to the Interstate 10 twin spans in Slidell.

The casino resort’s amenities will include a lazy river, water slide, resort pool, a 6,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, an indoor entertainment area with 1,500 fixed seats and a stage and a crab leg buffet. The Blind Tiger will also be included in the development in a new location close to the marina and boat slips.

P2E, a Los Angeles-based developer, purchased the land for just under $14 million. This same developer owned DiamondJacks in Bossier City which closed down after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. The Bossier City casino was  the lowest-performing casino in the saturated Shreveport/Bossier City market,

Concerned residents and businesses were not present at the meeting but they have been sharing their concerns relayed Slidell City Councilman at Large Glynn Pichon. There is a chance that the site plan will change but as of now, the site plan shows the casino located farther away from subdivisions than originally planned.

“My only concern is that the company has closed a casino in Bossier City,” said Deb Horrocks, who lives in Eden Isles, not far from the site. “What’s going to happen to the property if they decide to do the same thing?”

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