Smiley Anders for Feb. 13, 2012

Bo Stepp says one Sunday morning daughter Emily and his granddaughters Madelynn, 7, Shelly, 5, and Hollie, 4, met Bo and his wife at Coffee Call for beignets:

“Hollie doesn’t like powered sugar on hers, and digs around in the white pile trying to locate some without much on them.

“Every couple of minutes we would hear Shelly announce that she had one for Hollie without sugar.

“After she had given her a few, my daughter turned and noticed the beignets Shelly was giving Hollie were completely void of sugar and very shiny.

“ ‘Shelly, are you licking the sugar off?’ Emily asked.

“ ‘She doesn’t like sugar on them, Mom!’ Shelly answered.”

Unhappy returns

Mike Lukacin says our series on what to say to a police officer when caught speeding reminds him of this old story:

“One of my favorites is when after a long, speedy chase, the officer asked the driver why he was trying so hard to get away.

“His answer was that his wife had run away with a policeman a month ago, and he was afraid he was bringing her back.”

Far out!

Our perception of distance changes over the years.

I’ve heard about the long-ago outcry when it was proposed that Baton Rouge High be moved to a new site “way out” on Government Street.

And I recently told of my dad’s concern about The Village Restaurant locating “way out by the Traffic Circle.”

Reggie Gremillion offers another example:

“When I was about…younger, my mother loaded up me and my brothers and sisters in our green, three-speed, stick on the column ’58 Buick (big as a houseboat) and headed out from our home in Southdowns to the new Bon Marche shopping center, the latest and greatest in Baton Rouge.

“After traveling for what seemed like an hour, we arrived.

“I intelligently summed up the situation thusly: ‘No one will ever go shopping here. It is too far out of town!’ ”

Royal sauce

Roy Pitchford, of Monroe, says his son told him that while shopping in England he noticed that Tabasco bottles had a small crown on the label:

“He was told the crown indicated that the product is a regular purchase for the queen’s kitchen.

“Now we know how Her Majesty has stayed healthy for 60 years.”

Remembering Padre

Claude Larry and Wilma G. Taylor, of St. Amant, add to our mention of the late Father Jerome Dugas, the priest who once coached football at Catholic High of Pointe Coupee:

“He was highly respected, and known by his students and close friends as ‘Padre.’

“Not only did he coach in Plaquemine, but also was head basketball coach at St. Joseph’s Academy. We were blessed to have him coach our two daughters, Nedda and Jeri.”

Seasoned golfers

Curtis Johnson says the Octogenarian Golf Team of Louisiana is ready to play.

The team of 80 years-plus golfers plays in charity tournaments and returns all winnings to the sponsoring group.

Says Curtis, “Our leader, JoPaul Steiner, age 96, constantly emphasizes our objective to increase the over $1 million to charity organizations we have raised over the last decade.”

He says the group has installed four new golfers: Bill Cotton, Ed Girouard, Curtis Bailey and Harold Turner.

To reach the team, call Curtis at [phone], JoPaul at [phone], or George Clark at [phone].

Speaking of seniors

The Home Instead Senior Care office for East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Iberville and Livingston parishes has a “Salute to Senior Service” program to honor senior volunteers.

The state’s top volunteer will be chosen, and a national winner will be selected during Older Americans Month in May.

Nominees must be at least 65 and volunteer at least 15 hours a month. Nominations will be accepted at http://www.SalutetoSeniorService.com through March 15.

Nice People Dept.

Holly Reynolds presents this scenario: “One morning at the Albertson’s on College Drive, a lady on an electric cart goes to check out, and the cashier says, ‘It’s already paid for,’ by a gentleman standing on the other side of the booth.”

She adds, “How nice of the stranger! He made my WEEK.”

Looking for people

Volunteers are needed at the Baton Rouge General Mid City gift shop to work one four-hour shift a week. Call Laura at [phone].

Special People Dept.

Lionel and Sadie Templet celebrate 63 years of marriage Monday.

Cool Sayings Dept.

Reggie Gremillion has came up with a motto for this column: “A day without Smiley is like … Sunday.”

The end

Nash Williams has a slogan for anti-obesity campaigns: “No behind left behind.”

Write Smiley at [e-mail]. He can also be reached by fax at [phone] or mail at P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821.