• Locally owned barbecue restaurant, Hickory Stick, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month.

The restaurant is a Shreveport-Bossier staple for diners looking for delicious smoked meats, potato salad and baked beans. Owner Lynda Petree, and her late husband, Barry, opened their first restaurant off North Market Street in Shreveport in 1977.

"People love consistency, and that's what we offer," said Lynda Petree owner of the Hickory Stick. "We've had the same quality food and some of the same employees for 40 years."

The Hickory Stick is located at 4448 Youree Drive in Shreveport. This is the restaurant's third location during its 40-year history.

"Barry loved to cook, and he was ready for a career change. We took my recipes, he smoked the meat, I made all the sides, and we opened the Hickory Stick."

To celebrate their anniversary, Hickory Stick is giving away a free slice of birthday cake every Monday in June with the purchase of a meal. Customers can also enter for a chance to win a $40 gift certificate by visiting the restaurant's Facebook page. Visit @HickoryStickShreveport on Facebook for more information.

Hickory Stick is open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. Their daily specials can be found in store or on their website www.hickorystick.com.

• The Southern University at Shreveport Foundation will host the 18th Annual Gentlemen's Cooking Classic (GCC), on Saturday, June 10, from 6 – 9 p.m., at the Shreveport Convention Center, 400 Caddo Street, Shreveport.

This event showcases exquisite dishes prepared and served by area ladies, lil chefs, politicians, civic and community leaders and is the Foundation's most successful fundraising event.

The theme for this year's event is "Spic'n It Up – Cooking on the Red." For one day these talented individuals will exchange their normal everyday duties for an apron, chef hat and spatula to support the worthy cause of raising funds for Southern University at Shreveport.

Tickets are $35 for adults, $12.50 for children 6 to 10 years, and free for those five and under. Tickets can be purchased at the Southern University at Shreveport Foundation office located at 610 Texas Street, Suite 400, and the Southern University at Shreveport campus at 3050 MLK Jr. Drive, Shreveport.

This year the Foundation will be unveiling its SUSF Hall of Fame, in which we will be inducting its first three inductees: Mr. Reece Middleton, Mr. Winzer Andrews and Ms. Anne Gremillion.

Chef Ernest Palmisano and Tina Palmisano, owners of Ernest's Orleans Restaurant in Shreveport, will once again serve as honorary chair and co-chair of the Lil and Junior Chefs portion of the event.

The event's principal purpose is to raise money for student scholarships for the Shreveport-Bossier City and surrounding area students attending Southern University at Shreveport, while at the same time serving delicious food. The popularity of the event continues to grow each year. Through the efforts of these participating chefs and community support, the Foundation has been able to invest more than $500,000 in scholarships.

• PEP! The Pet Education Project is one of only a few non-profit organizations in the world and first in the Shreveport-Bossier area to find a home on Patreon, an Internet-based platform that allows content creators to build their own subscription content service.

With international success on mobile applications including musical.ly, live.ly, Snapchat and Instagram, PEP! founder Erica Callais Falbaum and her team decided to pursue Patreon as a means to expand the organization’s reach. “This is a pawsome way for supporters of PEP! to get involved on a whole new level,” explained Falbaum.

After opening to friends and fans May 11, PEP! launched publicly June 1. Patreon will allow PEP! to reach an international audience and give fans a way to contribute to PEP! in return for exclusive content such as photos, videos and a monthly live chat.

With 6,000 animals euthanized each day in the United States, teaching the next generation of kids the importance of responsible pet ownership is of immediate importance.

You can become a patron of PEP! on Patreon at patreon.com/peteducationproject.

PEP! The Pet Education Project is an education and outreach program that teaches the core responsibilities of pet ownership. PEP! strives to foster humane habits in children and citizens of our community in order to reduce pet overpopulation, abuse, neglect and euthanasia. Visit ilovepep.org or call 949-412-5225 for further information.

• Mark McCrocklin, MBA, CFP, a private wealth advisor with Cardinaux Wealth Advisors, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., in Shreveport, was named to the 2017 Chairman’s Advisory Council for the 15th time.

McCrocklin qualified for the prestigious Chairman’s Advisory Council based on distinguished performance. The Chairman’s Advisory Council was established in 1984, and advisors qualify each year based on superior business results.

Cardinaux Wealth Advisors has served the Shreveport area since 1986. For more info, contact Brittany Davies at 861.3521 or visit the Ameriprise office at 738 N. Ashley Ridge Loop, Shreveport.

• Kevin L Murphy, CFP ® , with Laveer Wealth Management a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. in Shreveport, was named to the 2017 Chairman’s Advisory Council for the 15th time.

Murphy qualified for the prestigious Chairman’s Advisory Council based on distinguished performance. The Chairman’s Advisory Council was established in 1984, and advisors qualify each year based on superior business results.

Laveer Wealth Management has served the Shreveport area since 1982. For more information, please contact Jamey Scott at 861.3521 or visit the Ameriprise office at 738 N. Ashley Ridge Loop, Shreveport.

• “How To Offer Spiritual Guidance for Elected Officials,” as based on opening prayers of the state Senate in Louisiana's bicentennial year (2012), has been compiled by Mary Ann Van Osdell and is now available.

As legislative assistant to Sen. Barrow Peacock, she is moved daily by the Senate prayers that open each session and wants others to use them as a guide to pray for lawmakers. The prayers are from clergy all across the state and all denominations. A running theme is wisdom and the common good.

Van Osdell says it is perfect for any church, Bible study or political Club. This is her third book.

The book is $7. Contact her at mavo@softdisk.com or 347-9196.

BUSINESS ANNOUNCEMENTS

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