Krewe’s royal duo ready to reign, roll
DENHAM SPRINGS — Debra Ourso Becnel and Lamy J. Chopin Jr. will reign as this year’s king and queen when they ride Saturday in the Denham Springs Mardi Gras parade.
The parade is set to roll at 3 p.m. and start at Denham Springs High School, 1000 N. Range Ave.
The theme of this year’s parade is Louisiana Life. The krewe chose the theme in honor of the 200th bicentennial of Louisiana.
Now in its 32nd year, the parade will feature more than 185 krewe members and 11 floats, Becnel said.
“The parade started as a poor man’s krewe, and they built their own floats,” Chopin’s wife, Janis Chopin, recalled.
But for Becnel and Chopin, the experience of riding in the parade has always been a special one.
Becnel, a native of Hammond and an assistant teacher at St. Thomas Moore Preschool, joined the krewe in 2002. Becnel is also an independent photographer and jewelry designer.
She has served the krewe in a number of capacities including ball captain, secretary, first and second vice president and float captain for her float krewe of Klassy Cajuns. She and her husband, Mark Becnel, have two sons, Connor and Nathan.
Lamy Chopin, a charter member of the Krewe of Denham Springs, has served as its first vice president, president, parade captain and float captain.
He and his wife, Janis, reigned over the 1990 Mardi Gras ball and parade. The retired co-founder and principal engineer of C-K Associates Inc. is also a retired U.S. Army colonel.
“It was great to escort her,” Chopin said as he talked about the recent ball where the king and queen were announced. Chopin is Becnel’s uncle.
“My greatest joy was seeing this life that she has been living for several weeks (as queen), he said.
For Becnel, the experience of being named queen was equally as special. In addition to sharing the honor with her uncle, several out-of-town family and friends flew in to attend the ball Jan. 28 at North Park, where Paul and Mary Cambre returned to present 2012’s royal couple with silver medallion necklaces.
The mayor of Denham Springs, James Durbin, awarded the couple with a key to the city, and the royal court offered a toast.
“It was also my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, so that meant the world to me,” Becnel said.
In addition to reigning as king and queen of the Mardi Gras ball and riding in the parade, the duo will attend the after-parade party and reign as royalty throughout 2012 and part of 2013 until a new king and queen are selected.
“Every year it’s getting more and more involved for the king and queen,” Becnel said.
Like those who have reigned before them in recent years, Becnel and Chopin will have a hand in selecting the Denham Springs Mardi Gras king and queen for 2013-2014, and will also plan next year’s after-party.
While the parade doesn’t officially roll until 3 p.m., both Becnel and Chopin said krewes will be out Friday night and early Saturday tailgating and enjoying family time with friends. Both attest to the parade’s family atmosphere.
“It’s such a family-oriented parade,” Becnel said. “It’s clean.”
Parade-goers will no doubt try their best at catching what they can at this year’s parade. Becnel and Chopin are hoping many will be lucky enough to catch the coveted gold doubloon thrown only from the king and queen’s float. There are only 2,500 of the gold doubloons to be thrown.
Tamara Laurie, who works for Bass Pro Shops, will be this year’s grand marshal.