The News-Star from Monroe, Louisiana • Page 15

INDEX Columns 2B TV guide 4B Comics 5B on homes The News-Star THURSDAY, October 23, 2003 www.thenewsstar.comaccent Inside: Teddy Allen reveals what's like a womb and holds receipts, 2B Accent Pumpkins can be jacks of all trades On tap today Seniors who are 55 and and older can "Dance the Night Away" from 7 to 10 p.m. at the West Monroe Convention Center, 901 Ridge Ave. The Rod Allen Payne Trio will provide the music. Light refreshments will be served. Purchase $5 tickets at West Ouachita Senior Center, 1800 North Seventh West Monroe.

Call 324-1280. Birthdays at Mi ff I f. "Particularly for the kids, they like it. It really feels cool and wet and not slimy at all." To really do it right, though, Jones said to use a short-handled spoon to scoop out whatever pulp and seeds are left over. "Put your fingers behind the bowl of the spoon for more leverage," she said.

"If you hold it at the end you're not going to accomplish much." As for the actual face, Jones prefers to go with the traditional triangle eyes, square nose and one-toothed grin. Still, she advises pumpkin carvers to be careful they don't accidentally remove a planned tooth when giving the jack-o-lantern its grin. But for those who want to be a bit more daring, Chris Allums, owner of Allums Line Inc. flower shop in Monroe, has a few suggestions. "Out with the perfect pumpkin," said' Allums, 35.

"We want to be entertained. We want to be different." Instead of the traditional face, Allums has used a power drill to poke holes in a long, skinny pumpkin, creating something that closely resembles a real lantern. He's also carved addresses into pumpkins to put on front stoops. Allums also has monogrammed a pumpkin with initials and used a razor knife to create elegant curves along each of the pumpkins folds. His other ideas include making a little graveyard of jack-o-lanterns bearing such messages as "Rest in Piece" or "Here Lies Fred." For those who still prefer a face on their jacks, Allums suggests sticking carrots and other vegetables or fruits into the nose and eyeholes.

The resulting face might be Louisiana's best answer to a snowman. Allums hasn't quite decided how he'll carve his family's jack-o-lantera this year. But he said he knows he wants to be creative. "Jack-o-lanterns don't have to be seen as negative," he said. "They can be something families enjoy together." By HEATHER WECSLER hwecslerthenewsstar.com Once upon a time, according to Irish legend, there lived a ne'er-do-well named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil out of his soul.

Jack continued his mischief making until he died. Well, St. Peter refused to admit the scoundrel through the pearly gates. But when Jack went down to the netherworld, Old Scratch wouldn't take him either. Now cursed to wander the earth, Jack complained that he wouldn't be able to see in the darkness.

So the devil tossed a flaming coal at Jack, and the trickster caught it inside a hollowed-out turnip. Thus, the story goes, the first Jack-o-lantern was born. Jack-o-lanterns have changed since the days when the Irish would carve faces onto turnips to ward off evil spirits and Stingy Jack on Samhain, the Celtic new year. Now pumpkins, a Central American plant first introduced into Europe in 1584, are the lanterns of choice and Stingy Jack is all but forgotten. But some things have not changed.

Jack-o-lanterns remain an Oct. 31 tradition and carving them can still be great fun. Marianne Jones, carving coordinator for the pumpkin patch at First United Methodist Church in Monroe, has carved 10 jack-o-lanterns for children's groups this October. Jones, 54, said carving pumpkins doesn't have to be challenging or take very long. Indeed, she usually spends about 15 minutes on each pumpkin.

When choosing her pumpkins, Jones said she looks for one large enough to accommodate a face and with as few blemishes as possible. For actually doing the carving the lid and the face, she recommends using a short knife no longer than 5 inches. "Anything longer is too unwieldy," she said. She also suggests cutting at a slant. "After the lid is off, I just attack it with my hands," she said.

MICHAEL DUNLAPThe News-Star Dewey and Julie Weaver are pictured here with their children Graham, center, and Lydia. Julie has accented her shelves and tables with pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn from the West Monroe Farmers' Market. Monroe family prepares for joys of October holiday Halloween Frank Anzalone, 85, Monroe Neal Atkins, 40, Monroe Bobby Joe Bailey, 79, West Monroe Elizabeth Balsamo Dorothy "Twin" Bell, Monroe Cheyenne L. Blake, 1 Linda Cain, 37, Winnsboro Neil Chapped Chris Coleman, 15, West Monroe Bob Crocker LaTasha Davis, 23, Dallas Johnny Dopson, 80 Imogene Edwards, West Monroe Joanna Claire Franklin, 7, Rayville Ryan Glddens, 26, Farmerville Rosie Hayes, Farmerville Jeff Hopkins, Monroe Jemale Hopkins, 7, Las Vegas Cheryl Lamkin, Ansley Chuck Lane, Monroe Lessie Mael, West Monroe Angela McCraw, 27 Christie McElduff, 19, Monroe Seth Meredith, 12, West Monroe John Pritchard 40, Monroe Gay Nell Ritchie Martile Samples, West Monroe Frances Smith, West Monroe Jennifer Smith, West Monroe Sherry D. Styron, 23, Monroe Alan Tanzy 46, Houston D.C.

Tarver, '40 Liddieville -Randy Welch, 53, Bernice Brooke Whitehead, 16, West Monroe Cindy D. Williams, 50, West Monroe Bobbie "Twin" Wilson, Dallas Belated Courtney Banks, 11, Rayville Kendall Ginn, 13, West Monroe Andrew Menard, 7, Calhoun Anniversaries Ronnie and Linda Brantley, West Monroe Nathan and Brien Duchesne, Monroe Don and Donna -Head, married -1 1 years. West Monroe Archie and Audrie Williamson, married 56 years Belated Jimmy and Sandra Nelson, married 43 years, West Monroe No kidding HOW THEY STACK UP Values of $5 chips from six former Las Vegas casinos 1. Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo $5 chips worth $1,1 2. Sands $5 chips worth 3.

Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn $5 chips worth 4. Landmark $5 chips worth 5. Hacienda $5 chips worth 6. Dunes $5 chips worth "Values based on conditions, quantity available and date of chips Source; The Chip Rack 1 4 History of the Monroe. Clowe Wright, a longtime family friend, is the Weavers' interior decorator.

Her children also get into the fall decorating act. Julie lets her children adorn pumpkins with Fresco Tempera paint, a watercolor-based paint she bought at Michael's in Monroe. She easily removes the paint with soap and water, and the kids have a fresh palette on which to create ghoulish faces anew. Dewey Weaver provides for these fall idylls as managing director of InterMountain Management Company, a company which owns and manages hotel properties across the United States. Both Weavers are active in their community.

They attend First United Methodist Church of Monroe, support the Tocqueville Society of the United Way and volunteer for both the Children's Museum in Monroe and Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana. Julie recently was a committee member for Night of the Child, the annual fund-raiser for Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana. Their children certainly look forward to Halloween this year, and have already tried out their "Trick or Treat" on me. I don't think they'll have to be worry about getting enough treats. By VICTOR CASCIO accentthenewsstar.com The festive season is upon us.

'And what can be more inviting than the changing of the leaves? Trees prepare to take a rest, and flocks flying South write V's across the sunset. It's the time of year when the very air seems alert with a sense of anticipation. Each chilled breeze seems to whisper the tune of Leonard Bernstein's "Something's Coming." Well, the first something that's coming is Halloween, which will be followed in quick succession by Thanksgiving and Christmas. But for now, let's enjoy the family atmosphere of All Hallows' Eve. And what better place to enjoy the October holiday than sleepy Island Drive? Here the street's calm is only occasionally disturbed by the patter of joggers, the greetings of neighbors and the splash of Phillips Bayou.

But come Halloween night, the street will be filled with sounds of children's laughter, doorbell chimes and cheerful refrains of "trik-or-treat" as dozens of little goblins enjoy the holiday's delights. Among this year's trick-or-treaters will be the children of Island Drive residents Julie and Dewey Weaver. The chil- -1 Jack-O-Lantern Why do we carve pumpkins on Halloween ffvX aoeo dren Graham, 7, and Lydia, 5, have already picked out their costumes. Graham will make like Little Eva and do the locomotion as a train engineer. Lydia, for her part, will take on a role once inhabited by the likes of Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer, as catwoman.

Both children attend Grace Episcopal School. Graham enjoys tennis lessons, and Lydia participates in' dance and gymnastics. The children's favorite outdoor activity is playing with the family cat, Sharon. To get the kids in the Halloween spirit, Julie Weaver has given her whole house an autumnal look. Throughout her house, Julie has accented her shelves and tables with pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn from the West Monroe Farmers' Market.

She also uses leaves and flowers from Vee's Flower Shop in Halloween was the end of the Celtic new year, night when relatives celebrated their ancestors who had passed on. The Celts would carve a gourd or turnip and put in a burning lumo of coal, causina it to alow. Placina this in the window or tl nnrnh the lack-o- antams welcomed the soints ot their ancestors m. i r. A wnne warama awav anv evil sDirits.

i European settlers in America brought the tradition with them, Dut tney used tne native pumpkin, which being larger was much easier to carve. The News-Star Wossman High graduate conquers art world the size of a duck, and most do resemble a duck or swan," says Jane Ellett, the pumpkin patch coordinator. "We also have bottle-neck gourds, crown gourds, and lots of interesting, colorful small gourds and pumpkins for decorating for fall and through Thanksgiving." The patch also features a pumpkin maze for children and several places for family photos. The patch is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

today through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Oct. 31.

To reach us To comment on a story, offer story ideas, make a correction or speak to an editor call: Accent 362-0284 Classified 362-0202 Health 362-0277 K-12 News Religion Food 362-0284 Youth 362-0286 To Do 362-0256 Fax 362-0273 accentttienewsstar.com Our team editor for the Accent section is Heather Wecsler. This section was edited and designed by Mandy Bixler. With Heather Wecsler Defender, a Memphis newspaper last year. "I reverse it to be positive. I try to use a lot of black imagery as a self-esteem type thing as a reinforcement so that children can have something to identify with." Shell has certainly made his mother proud with all he's accomplished.

"It's fabulous," she said. "His mind is very focused on what he wants to do." If like Linus, you're still looking for the Great Pumpkin for this All Hallow's Eve, never fear. The Pumpkin Patch at First United Methodist Church, 3900 Loop Road in Monroe, has just received a fresh shipment of the favored fall fruit. The church also has received a shipment of several kinds of gourds. "The swan' gourds are about Shell received scholarships to Savannah College of Art in Georgia and Memphis College of Art in Tennessee.

He opted for Memphis because the school was closer to home, and he graduated with a bachelor of fine arts from the college in 2000. He had his first major public exhibition in October 2001 as part of a juried show in Memphis. He also has gone on to paint a mural for the National Civil Rights Museum's NBA Pioneer show and had two solo shows earlier this year. He remains committed to pursuing art not only to make a living but also to spread a message. "I play around with the stereotype that dark colors are supposed to be evil and gloomy," he told the Th-Staie Like many children, Vitus Shell grew up drawing houses and trees.

Unlike most children, many of his works had price tags. The kid obviously had a lot of foresight. Today, Shell, who grew up in Monroe and now lives in Memphis, is gaining notice from art critics and collectors nationwide. "Vitus Shell is a y6ung and exciting artist who has the potential to become a fixture in the art world across the country," says one such art collector, former NBA player Elliott Perry. "He possesses the ability to paint on any level and in any medium." Shell recently concluded an exhibit at In The Gallery, a gallery in Nashville, and he has just opened another exhibit of his work at Savacou Arts Program with helping him fulfill his passion.

He specifically thanks Ralph Ellis, the teacher who encouraged Shell to take his for art test to qualify for the art program when he was an eighth-grader at Thomas Jefferson Junior High. Shell would eventually graduate from Wossman High School in 1996. But before graduating, his mother said Shell also benefited from the instruction of Linda Ward, Daryl Triplett and especially Charles Meed who encouraged Shell to apply for art scholarships to college. "The Monroe City art teachers provided him with a great foundation that helped him with his college and enhanced his talent," said Lemons, who is the cafeteria manager for Carroll Junior High in Monroe. Gallery in New York City.

He also has works on display at The Frame Up, a gallery in Oxford, the second time for him to has his work showcased there this year. Not bad for an artist who is only 24 years old. The son of Faye Lemons and Larry Shell of Monroe, the artist credits his upbringing and his many art teachers in Monroe City School System's Talented Submit anecdote or Hem about local peopto to Jet' Ramblln'. co Trte New. Star.

411 N. Fourth St, Monroe, la, 71201- or e-mail them to eccentQth. newsstar.com. Personal comments tor Heather Wecsler can oe called In to 362-0284; e-maled nwecslerSrltenewf ttar.com; or sent to the address above. arcom thene It's a breath of fresh air that will AUL MICHAE tk 1 blow you away! COMPANY You're not going to believe this place.

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