Page 1

Small Business Saturday
A big part of my job is working with businesses and business-hopefuls, many of them small, a significant number, start up. The people behind them run the gamut of professional mid-lifers sporting suit and tie to casual millennials in skinny jeans and tees.

ONCE-NEGLECTED HISTORIC BUILDING UNDERGOING TOTAL MAKEOVER
“This building was the first skyscraper in Shreveport, and it’s only fitting that it should house downtown’s first gourmet market,” said Neil Kapadia, a principal partner at ViaNova Development, the Chattanooga, Tenn., entity that bought the property earlier this year.

Tough One To Write
This is a tough column for me to write. My deadline in Nov. 3, and the publication date is Nov. 9. The election is Nov. 8, so by the time you read this, it will be over. We will know who is president as well as the outcome of a U.S. Senate race and U.S. House races, where there will likely be a runoff.

So, who will it be?
Today, it seems easier to recognize the abusive-like relationships that our country have gravitated toward, and clung to, over the past 50 years. Even though we knew better, we kept electing candidates for public office that were more interested in their welfare than in ours.

biz SCENE
On Oct. 20 at East Ridge Country Club, the Better Business Bureau hosted their 12th annual Torch Awards for Marketplace Trust. Emcee for the evening was Sonja Bailes, and Sheriff Steve Prator served as the guest speaker. Nearly three dozen local businesses were nominated in four different categories.

King Poljak Group at Morgan Stanley
That the team has experience and credentials is clear. Financial Advisors John King and Denis Poljak have 35 and 20 years of experience, respectively. Denis has a Ph.D.

CHILDREN AND ‘THE MONEY TALK’
Parents are making it a priority to pass down to their children the knowledge and tools necessary to responsibly handle a significant inheritance. They often feel their children’s values may become distorted by the comforts and benefits that wealth provides if not given the proper guidance.

40 UNDER FORTY 10 YEARS
Emerie Eck Gentry, donor relations manager, Bossier Arts Council, believes the 40 Under 40 Awards is a wonderful opportunity for young people in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

40 UNDER FORTY 10 YEARS
After graduating in three years from Louisiana Tech University with her B.S. in accounting, Lindi Hall became a certified public accountant.

NATIONAL DIABETES AWARENESS
Diabetes has been described as a slowmotion catastrophe because patients often don’t feel sick, and many patients do not take diabetes seriously until consequences are severe and they face long-term complications. Diabetes in the U.S.

SHOULDER REPLACEMENT SURGERY
The amount of shoulder replacement surgeries performed in the United States is increasing in number on a yearly basis, especially as our elderly population grows. It is estimated by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons that over 50,000 total shoulder replacements are performed in the U.

ADOPTION AWARENESS MONTH
Allow me to digress. I was adopted at the age of two months from the Methodist Home Hospital in New Orleans. My parents, who had already adopted a bouncing nine-pound baby boy about 18 months earlier, told the social worker they wanted a baby girl they could hold for a long time.

PREMATURITY AWARENESS MONTH
Births are considered premature when the baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In response, March of Dimes has launched “Give Them Tomorrow,” a universal call to do something today to help moms and save babies, while raising awareness about the fight against premature birth.

THE ABCs OF ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to choose how you wish to live your life once you are no longer able to make decisions or speak for yourself.

HEALTHY GEEZER
Marijuana can help your glaucoma, and it could get you in trouble because there are legal restrictions upon its use. If you are interested in trying medical marijuana for your glaucoma, discuss this treatment with your doctor..

TALK OF THE TOWN
Every Friday is Game Night from 7 p.m. to midnight. Every Saturday night is Poetry Night from 7-10 p.m. 450 Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway, Ste. 700, Shreveport. 734-9766..

Silver Star Smokehouse
Texas Toothpicks: Now, I’m not big on onions or jalapeños, but when you fry them and have the delicious dipping sauce, they taste real good. This is a great menu item to share with the table. Au Gratin Potatoes: If you like cheese and you like potatoes (and who doesn’t?), you will love these.

on the SCENE
On Oct. 5 The Gingerbread House Partners in Prevention Luncheon.

on the SCENE
Thousands of short-film lovers invaded downtown Shreveport the first weekend in October for the fifth annual Louisiana Film Prize..