Savoring Slidell!

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL — For over 50 years, the women of the Slidell Garden Club have enhanced the beauty and atmosphere of our community in more ways than you could count.
With the release of a new book entitled “Savoring Slidell: Its Saucy People, Spicy Recipes & Southern Scenery,” they appear to have outdone themselves.
Garden Club Member Kathy Jones said club members decided last year to publish a book about Slidell to raise money for an elaborate landscaping project between the two new city administrative buildings, behind City Hall.
A committee was formed with Jones heading the team that included Lucy Band, Jan Brown, Charlotte Elias and Catherine Walker. They began seeking donations of local recipes, local photos and local stories, compiling it all into an incredible publication that was released last week.
“The project definitely took more time than we thought and, of course, we had no idea how much we really had to do,” Jones said. “But seeing it in print, we are so proud of the book and hope everyone in Slidell gets a copy.”
The book may have become more than the ladies ever envisioned, since it is a fabulous compilation of Slidell history, Slidell stories of interesting people and places, and an opportunity for dozens of local photographers to have their pictures or art work published in a book that should be around for decades.
Jones was roundly applauded at the book’s debut last week for her tireless efforts in heading the project, but she was quick to pass out some credit of her own.
“Of course our committee all helped so much since there was a lot of work to get all the pictures, stories and recipes together,” she said. “But I also have to thank Sharon deLong and Bobbie Alexander, who did so much work and helped make decisions on editing. That turned out to be a much trickier job than any of us imagined, naturally since we had never done anything like this before.”
The book is divided into four categories of area waterways, with photos, recipes and stories linked to Bayou Bonfouca, Bayou Liberty, Lake Pontchartrain and the East Pearl River. The final product is 144 pages long and is now being sold for $30 a copy.
“Every coffee table in Slidell should have this book,” Brown said. “It’s really such a special project and everyone who has seen it has found it so enjoyable to go through.”
The book was published by Publishing Resources Group, Inc. and is available at Accents & Things, Three Divas and a Sugar Daddy, Sara Hollon Interiors, Garden Spot Nursery, Dunaway’s, Habanos, the Wine Seller and on line at slidellbook.com.