Smiley Anders for Aug. 8, 2012

Hopefully, a sign of the times

Teddy Johnson, owner of Teddy’s Juke Joint on Old Scenic Highway in Zachary for the past three decades or so, came across a sign he felt expressed what his venerable blues establishment is all about.

He posted a picture of the sign on Facebook, asking if anyone could make one for him.

A Spanish Town artist who liked its message copied the colorful sign on a piece of plywood and presented it to Teddy.

Here’s what the sign says:

“WELCOME

All sizes

All colors

All ages

All cultures

All sexes

All beliefs

All religions

All types

All people

SAFE HERE”

The artist doesn’t want attention drawn to herself, because she’d rather it be directed to the words on the sign.

And I have to respect her wishes.

After all, I’m married to her. …

I’ll drink to that!

Doug Johnson, of Watson, says, “If there is an award for irony, I nominate the entrance to the State Capitol in Nashville, Tenn.

“There is a tunnel at the entrance to allow people to enter the building through a ground-level hallway instead of climbing a long set of steps.

“Just above the doors to the tunnel is a statue of an early 1900s prohibitionist, Edward Ward Carmack,with a plaque stating the statue was dedicated by the WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union).

“The tunnel is the Lem Motlow Memorial Tunnel.

“Lem was the owner of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery after the death of his uncle, Jasper Newton ‘Jack’ Daniel.”

The Fonville Files

Bob Winans, of Alexandria, says he’s just completed a new website devoted to his dad, the great Baton Rouge photographer Fonville Winans:

“The site not only includes all his photographs, but also a cooking section and a comment section. The main purpose of the comment section is to collect people’s recollections of Dad’s photographs and any experience they might have had with him.”

The site’s address is http://www.fonvillewinans.com.

Stuff it!

After Phil Hannaman reported finding boudin kolaches in Tyler, Texas, I heard from Kara Castille, who says you don’t have to travel to Texas for that merger of culinary cultures.

She says boudin kolaches are available at her shop, Thee Heavenly Donut, 17732 Highland Road.

Tunnel vision

Lorraine Bergeron, of Port Allen, said the reader who got stuck in traffic going through the Interstate 10 tunnel at Mobile, Ala., should have taken the older Bankhead Tunnel:

“We used it last weekend when traffic was backed up as we were returning from Florida. Got through in record time.”

(One of my travel consultants at the Pastime says the old tunnel can be reached by taking the truck route before you enter the I-10 tunnel.)

Worthy causes

Capital Area CASA Association says “CASA Kids Day,” a children’s safety and wellness fair, is Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Mall of Louisiana.

Library cards and ID cards will be available to kids, and LSU’s mascot, Mike the Tiger, will arrive at the mall in his trailer at 4 p.m. A raffle drawing of a children’s playhouse will be held at 5 p.m.

The CASA playhouse is on display at the mall. Playhouse raffle tickets are available for $5 at the mall, the CASA office at 848 Louisiana Ave. and online at http://www.casabr.org.

Special People Dept.

• William Ewing, of Batchelor, celebrates his 94th birthday Wednesday. He’s a World War II veteran.
• On Tuesday Ethel V. Le-Blanc, of Donaldsonville, celebrated her 90th birthday. (Daughter Janet Burtt says at a Sunday party with some 100 family members, Ethel was presented a gold medal for “Grass Cutting Endurance.” She cuts her lawn with a push mower.)
• Mary and George Hill celebrate their 69th anniversary Wednesday.
• On Wednesday Wallace and Joyce Edwards, of Central, celebrate their 65th anniversary.

Modern family

Tom Precht says, “I was at my daughter’s house and my ex-wife was also there.

“My grandchildren were playing on the floor, and my 3-year-old grandson said, ‘Granny, you know Pop …’ ”

They got your back!

Dudley Lehew, of Denham Springs, recalls these examples of female and male friendship:

Friendship between women:

A woman doesn’t come home one night. The next day she tells her husband she slept over at a girlfriend’s house. The husband calls his wife’s 10 best friends. None of them know anything about it.

Friendship between men:

A man doesn’t come home one night. The next day he tells his wife he slept over at a friend’s house. The wife calls her husband’s 10 best friends. Eight of them confirm that he slept over, and two claim he is still there!

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.