The Walk-On’s Independence Bowl was played at Independence Stadium on Dec. 27. It was the 43rd edition of the Independence Bowl and featured the Temple Owls and Duke Blue Devils. Final score was Temple 27 - Duke 56. It was the first appearance for both teams in Shreveport. Also at the game, Brigadier General Jeannie M. Leavitt was announced as the 2018 Omar N. Bradley “Spirit of Independence” Award recipient. – Mark Crawford

Walk-On’s Independence Bowl

1) Charlotte Seawright, Lyndsi McGinley 

2) Barry and Teri Busada 

3) Terri and Larry Little

4) Lisa and Tim Wilhite

The Krewe of Elders Ball XI was held on Jan. 19 at the American Legion. A buffet was provided with music by Lady Chazz and the Tramps. “Elders Stars in Hollywood” was the theme this year. – Mary Ann Van Osdell

Krewe of Elders Ball XI

5) Connie and Doug Rivet

6) Amy and Luke Stetson

7) Wanda Cunningham and Julia Collins

8) Lana Cross and Bill Wisby

9) Patsy and Troy McGee

The Gingerbread House hosted their annual fundraising luncheon in the Riverdome at Horseshoe Casino. The guest speaker was Dave Pelzer, a child abuse survivor and author of “A Child Called ‘It’.” Pelzer survived an extreme, lifethreatening childhood in what has been described as one of the worst cases of child abuse in California’s history. Proceeds from the lunch directly benefits the Gingerbread House. Gingerbread House is a children’s advocacy center that exists to serve children, ages 2-16, who are alleged victims of sexual or severe physical abuse. – Mark Crawford

Gingerbread House

1) Ollie Tyler, Waynette Ballengee

2) Carol Coe, AJ Maranto

3) Brandi Williams, Tina Tomasek

4) Melanie Peacock, Carroll Neal, Pete Tucker, Mary Pat Morgan and Mary Ann Van Osdell

5) Macy Flash, Jessica Miller

6) Teri Flash, Regina Bond

The Catahoula Wine Mixer was hosted at Provenance Community in GreenLeaf Park. The outdoor festival celebrated wine, cuisine and music from around the world. Guests were able to taste wines from various regions including California, France, Italy, South America and Oceania. Each region had local chefs and local musicians showcasing cuisine and sounds inspired by that part of the world. At the event’s conclusion, champagne was poured, and fi reworks were launched into the sky. A portion of the event’s proceeds benefited the Provenance Institute to promote the growth of arts, culture and environment. – Mark Crawford

Catahoula Wine Mixer

7) Kristen and Ashley Powers

8) Amber Free, Leslie Oakes

9) Ashley Ard, Celesta Carroway, Abbie McConnell

10) Cathlean and Matt Snyder

11) Shani and Andrew Crawford

12) Kristen Wysong, Byron Godwin

To be included in OTS, e-mail your high-res photos to editor@theforumnews.com. Must include a daytime phone number. Or, contact Mary Ann Van Osdell at mavo@softdisk.com or Mark Crawford at markcrawford1@aol.com for event coverage.