What's Hot? - Ambush Mag

what's hot?
Volume 22/Issue 13/2004

by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain
Visit their site: ripandmarsha.com

Neon Party Celebrates 12th Anniversary of Bourbon Street's Top Dance & Show Club - Oz June 26th
New Orleans - The 12th Annual Neon Party on Sat., June 26th, celebrates a weekend of 12th anniversary activities at Bourbon Street's top dance and show club, Oz New Orleans. The weekend kicks off on Thurs., June 24th with a first ever Deborah Cox greatest hits collection giveaway, Ultimate Deborah Cox along with the talents of DJ Tim Pflueger.
Friday, the 25th, brings a Cher DVD giveaway and a special performance by circuit star Bianca Del Rio. The Very Best of Cher: The Video Hits Collection spans 4 decades of hits and both DJ of the Year Mary Pappas and DJ Raymond Mattix will do the honors this night.
Experience the magic at the 12th anniversary bash, The Neon Party, on Saturday, with special performances by Bianca Del Rio and Teryl-Lynn Foxx. Oz is also introducing Sammy, the fire eater with a staged performance as well. Again, both DJ Mary Pappas and Raymond Mattix will keep the hits pumpin' for Oz's big night. For further info, visit OzNewOrleans.COM.
Dixie Cups & Dave Thomas Trio Headline 10th Annual LazFest July 4th Benefiting Project Lazarus
New Orleans - Project Lazarus continues its 10-year tradition of partying with a purpose. The annual July 4 LazFest, which lands on a Sunday this year from 11am to 6pm in the 2800 block of Royal Street, will offer festival-goers unlimited food, beer and soft drinks, as well as the satisfaction of raising money for the city’s oldest and largest home for people living with HIV and AIDS.
A $15 donation entitles participants to not only eat and drink, but also dance along with live performances by New Orleans’ own Dixie Cups and Dave Thomas Trio. Carnival games, a silent auction and raffle, as well as the return of the popular dunk tank and jail, are part of the festivities celebrating the positive contribution Project Lazarus continues to make in the community.
"We believe Lazarus is a ministry of love, care and service," said Susan Banks, executive director of Project Lazarus. "LazFest is a continuation of this community’s commitment to support services that help men and women with HIV/AIDS live with dignity. For 10 years, the festival has helped us keep our doors open."
Over the previous nine festivals, LazFest has attracted almost 15,000 participants, raising more than $600,000 to help Lazarus residents who are unable to live independently or whose family and friends can no longer care for them. Project Lazarus assists with 24-hour nursing care, meals, laundry, social services, transportation to appointments, recreation and pastoral support.
LazFest organizers said they are thrilled to welcome the Dixie Cups, whose top-selling records include the No. 1 song Chapel of Love (1964) and Iko Iko (1965). The Dave Thomas Trio plays some of the best jazz standards in the Crescent City and is another bright spot for this year’s festival.
The 18-year-old non-profit organization started the festival 10 years ago to find a consistent way to raise funds for Lazarus’ four homes for residents. Each home has six private rooms for residents and common living rooms, kitchens and dining areas. Approximately a third of the residents are in hospice care, another third are transitional residents whose medical prognosis is good and the remaining residents are unable to live independently because of physical or mental problems. Lazarus also offers respite for patients following hospitalization for treatments such as chemotherapy or for caregivers who need a short-term break. For more information about LazFest and Project Lazarus or for donation and volunteer opportunities, call 504.949.3609 or visit www.lazarushouse.net.
TOP 10 REASONS TO ATTEND LAZFEST 2004:
10. Why stay home in the air conditioning when you can become one with Mother Nature: nice and hot and sweaty.
9. $15 for unlimited beer and food - enough said.
8. How often can you purposely dunk someone in a tank of water without being arrested?
7. Dancing to the 1960s sounds of The Dixie Cups with a bunch of Generation Xers makes you feel, oh so young.
6. What better way to spend the July 4 holiday.
5. Be a part of history by supporting one of the city’s most successful non-profits.
4. How many times in a year do you get to drink unlimited amounts of beer? Well, yeah, it’s New Orleans, but you get the point.
3. Partying with a purpose to help raise funds for a non-profit is better than partying with no purpose at all.
2. The Dave Thomas Trio is absolutely fabulous.
1. LAZFEST IS THE PRIMARY FUND-RAISER FOR THE CITY’S OLDEST AND LARGEST RESIDENCE FOR MEN AND WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV and AIDS - WHAT A GREAT CAUSE!
GAA Finalist Hail From Texas thru Florida; "Donnie Jay" James To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award July 11th
New Orleans -The Gulf South readership, Texas through Florida, of Ambush Mag voted for their favorites in 19 award categories for the 17th Annual Gay Appreciation Awards (GAA). The Official Gay Appreciation Awards Public Voting Ballot appeared on-line at archive.ambushmag.com/GAA and in the last issue of Ambush. Official voting ballots were accepted from June 8-15. Only one on-line ballot per e-mail address and one print ballot per person were valid.
This year’s voters hailed from as far away as Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Pensacola, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia on to Mobile, Alabama, to Biloxi, Mississippi, through New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana and to Temple, Austin, Dallas, Galveston and Houston, Texas.
Donald "Donnie Jay" James was selected by unanimous vote of the GAA Board of Directors to be the 2004 Lifetime Award recipient for his many, many years of dedication to this community. Donald M. James was born in April of 1942. Schooled in Miami, Florida, he went through his formative years knowing that he was different. During his last years in high school, he fell head over heels for one of his fellow male classmates. Having hidden his true feelings until it was too late to express them, due to the untimely suicide of the other boy, he became determined to live his life out of the closet and became Donnie Jay. Since leaving high school, he began entertaining both in and out of drag.
When he moved to New Orleans in the mid seventies, he was already an activist, protesting the Viet Nam war and the civil mistreatment of minorities at both 1968 political conventions in Miami Beach.
Opening at the legendary Travis’ show bar, he quickly became part of the social scene in the gay community. Having reigned as both Queen Apollo and as the Captain of Dionysus, he always has been willing to lend his talents for worthy causes.
When the epidemic began and passed him by, claiming many of his friends and acquaintances, he took it as a sign that he had been spared to fight for the cause that finally became known as AIDS. From that time to this day he has never turned away from lending his talents and home to help.
He is currently active as a member of the board for the New Orleans Alliance for Pride, director of the Slutpuppies Performance Troop, tends bar, writes for numerous publications, including Ambush Mag, and is currently working on a tell all gay history of New Orleans. He still performs for numerous charity events all over the city and is a staple of our community.

Donald "Donnie Jay" James
2004 Lifetime Award Recipient
Photo © GrahamStudioOne.COM

Past Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Jimmie Callaway, the late Dan Fountain [Betty Buttons], the late Andy Boudreaux, the late Buzzy Fanning, the late Dirty Dottie, Miss Fury, Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain, the late Dan Romero, the late Miss Do, Louise McFarland, Dixie Fasnacht, Alice Brady and John Dodt, Gene Adams, Charlene Schneider, Steve Mettner, and Marty Curtin & Koo Gaffney.
The awards thanks those in the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender community who are many times not recognized for the outstanding services and efforts they perform. These individuals and businesses have made the GLBT community into the viable, successful and powerful community it is today across the Gulf South.
French Quarter personality Marcy Marcell founded the Gay Appreciation Awards (GAA) in 1987. Marcell turned over the reigns of the GAA in 1997 to Ambush.
The award category winners, those receiving the most public votes, will be announced at the 17th Gay Appreciation Awards Gala at Body & Soul, 535 Marigny at Chartres St., Sun., July 11th, $10 cover. Beginning at 8pm sharp, doors will open at 7pm. All proceeds from the event will benefit the William Fanning Foundation, better known as Buzzy’s Boys & Girls. VIP Tables of 4 at $100 each are available. Please contact Rip Naquin-Delain to reserve your table, 504.522.8049, or via e-mail: info@ambushpublishing.com.
The Top 5 Finalist in each category include:
Circuit Party/Event of the Year: Gay Easter Parade/New Orleans, Halloween/New Orleans, Memorial Day Weekend: Abracadabra, Wave, Sweat, Bounce, Forbidden, Spellbound, Fore Play, Climax/Pensacola, Night of the Black Mask/New Orleans, Southern Decadence/New Orleans
Hair Salon of the Year: Arthur's House of Glamour, Hair Asylum, Head Ink, Headquarters, Mickey Nolan's Salon /all New Orleans
Gay Carnival Ball of the Year: Krewe of Amon Ra, Krewe of Armeinius, Krewe of Petronius, Lords of Leather, Mystic Krewe of Satyricon /all New Orleans
Neighborhood Bar of the Year: Big Daddy's, Corner Pocket, Cowpokes, Golden Lantern, Phoenix /all New Orleans
Buzzy Fanning AIDS Award: Marty Curtin, Mike Murray, NO/AIDS Task Force, Harold Short (Ursuline Burgundy), Wally Sherwood /all New Orleans
Bitch of the Year: Bianca Del Rio, Glen Fonte, Rusty LaRoux, Carl Meyer, Princesse Stephaney /all New Orleans
Show Bar of the Year: Big Daddy's, Corner Pocket, Cowpokes, Golden Lantern, Oz /all New Orleans
Performing Arts Award: Drama!, Hollywood Heaven, Murder at Movary Manor, New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus, Queerly Speaking /all New Orleans
Restaurant/Deli of the Year: Bywater Bar.B.Que/Lorenzo's, Petunias, Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, Quarter Scene, Verti Mart /all New Orleans
Dance Bar of the Year: Cowpokes/New Orleans, MatriXXX/New Orleans, Oz/New Orleans, Parade/New Orleans, Rainbow Cattle Company/Austin
Bartender of the Year: Brian Barbieri/Phoenix, Mike Farley/Oz, Allen Jones/Oz, Rex Romans/Cowpokes, Wayne White/Big Daddy's /all New Orleans
DJ of the Year: Joann Guidos/Big Daddy's-Golden Lantern, Tony Beverage/Phoenix, Raymond Mattix/Oz, Tim Pflueger/Oz, Mike Thomas/Cowpokes
Leather Bar of the Year: The Bear's Den/New Orleans, Chain Drive/Austin, Cowpokes/New Orleans, Phoenix/New Orleans, Rawhide/New Orleans
GLBT Business of the Year: Alternatives/New Orleans, FAB (Faubourg Marigny Art & Books)/New Orleans, Graham Studio One/New Orleans, Queen Fashions/Metairie, Second Skin Leather/New Orleans
Leather Person of the Year: Barth Cox, Timm Holt, Justin Manieri, Wally Sherwood, Jamie Temple /all New Orleans
Transgender of the Year: Regina Ann Adams, Vivica Devereaux, Rusty LaRoux, Crystal Little, Tonisha "TT" Thompson /all New Orleans
Lesbian of the Year: Cricket Adams, Pat McCardle, Red Hanson, Mina Hernandez, Mary Pappas /all New Orleans
Gay Man of the Year: Johnny Chisholm, Tommy Elias, Carl Ford, Fr. Nicholas Romans, Jamie Temple /all New Orleans
Entertainer of the Year: Austin Babtist Women/Austin, Bianca Del Rio/New Orleans, Adam Hawkins/New Orleans, Princesse Stephaney/New Orleans, Lady T/New Orleans
In addition to the various public voting awards, the Board will present the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Cheridon Comedy Award in memory of the late Sonny C. Cleveland, and the Fly Fashion Awards in memory of Ms. Fly including the Fly Fashion Glamour and the Fly Fashion Victim. The Marsha Delain Award of Excellence (the Drag Ambassador Award) will be presented by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain.
The Top 5 Finalist in special award categories voted on by the GAA Board of Directors include:
Cheridon Comedy Award: Austin Babtist Women, Scarlett O'Hara Butler, Blanche DeBris, Ricky Graham, Matthew Ragas
Fly Fashion Glamour: Bianca Del Rio, Opal Masters, Bobby Ramone & John John Parry, Lady T, Opal Vanderhurst
Fly Fashion Victim: Barry Bareass, Ursuline Burgundy, Phyllis Denmark, Eva Las Vegas, Kabrina Watson
Due to the generosity of corporate sponsor, Ambush Mag, all monies generated through door admissions and VIP table sales will benefit the evening’s charity, Buzzy’s Boys & Girls. Additionally, all stage performance tips will go to the charity. The five show bar of the year finalists are invited to perform a production presentation. The last Entertainer of the Year winner, Bianca Del Rio, is slated to perform, as well as GAA Founder Marcy Marcell.
King Cake Queen IX Lisa Beaumann and King Cake Queen X Teryl-Lynn Foxx are scheduled to emcee the affair.
The GAA Board of Directors includes Lisa Beaumann, Lance Ford, Teryl-Lynn Foxx, Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain and Toni J.P. Pizanie.
Ambush is proud to sponsor the Gay Appreciation Awards each year. For more info, visit archive.ambushmag.com/GAA.
It's Official: SDGM XXXI Rusty LaRoux Will Name Her Successor July 18th at Coronation 2004

SDGM XXXI Rusty LaRoux

New Orleans - Excitement is mounting in preparation of Official Southern Decadence XXXIII's kickoff, Coronation 2004. Southern Decadence Grand Marshal XXXI Rusty LaRoux has set Sun., July 18th as Official Coronation 2004, naming her successor, SDGM XXXII. The Coronation will be hosted for the first time at The Friendly Bar and Annex, in the Marigny at 2301 Chartres St. Beginning at 8pm, the Coronation will feature special performers and among them you can expect to experience the talents of some former grand marshals. The new grand marshal will set the tone for Decadence with his/her own theme, colors and song.
The rumor mill is churning with everyone from one end of town to the other trying to figure out who they think it will be. However, Madame Grand Marshal Rusty LaRoux is keeping mum. Ambush tried its best to get it out of her, but Madame Rusty would not divulge even one syllable of the new grand marshal's name.
2004 will be the 33rd anniversary of Southern Decadence. This will actually be the 31st year with a grand marshal [the grand marshal selection did not begin until the third year], but the new grand marshal will be the 32nd grand marshal [the two in 1978 were counted as grand marshals 5 & 6].
However, this is actually the 31st parade [there was no parade the first year].
It all began in 1972 with a mixed party of gays, straights, blacks and whites, at Belle Reve, 2110 Barracks St. There was no parade. [The first invitation read: "Ya’ll Come to the Dress Up As Your Favorite Southern Decadent Party at Belle Reve, 2110 Barracks, late afternoon, Sunday, September 3rd." (1972)]
According to Southern Decadence historian and SDGM IV Robert Laurent, "Cheers to Southern Decadence! What began in 1972 as an end-of-summer party among a small group of friends has transformed itself into a Quarter-wide weekend celebration. The first costume party was a farewell to Michael Evers, who was leaving New Orleans. Now, 31 years later, his spirit, wit and sense of frivolity continue, transformed into a celebration of Laissez les bon temps rouler."
In 1973, an informal march began from Matassa’s bar to 2110 Barracks. There was no grand marshal yet.
The grand marshal selection began in 1974 with Frederick Wright as the first.
For more info, visit the original and only OFFICIAL Website of Southern Decadence, SouthernDecadence.COM, dedicated to the preservation of the history and traditions of Southern Decadence in New Orleans since 1972. It lists the 2004 Official Events and you can even book discount hotel rooms, flights and cars.
Gay.com Members
To Select Most Eligible
Gay Man on the Planet
San Francisco - Gay.com, a leading website providing on-line services to the gay community globally, has launched its international campaign on it's web site, www.Gay.com, to answer the question: "Who is Mr. Gay.com?" The Mr. Gay.com Contest pits 50 finalists, each a well-rounded Gay.com Personals member, against each other in a quest to be crowned Gay.com’s most eligible Personals member of 2004. Members will vote to reward one of the millions of Gay.com members with the Mr. Gay.com top prize: $25,000.
"The tension is mounting as Gay.com members around the world start polishing their profiles to show that they have that hard-to-find combination of brains, brawn and personality to be Mr. Gay.com ," said Jeff Titterton, Senior Vice President of Member Sales and Marketing at Gay.com. "Our U.S. members are going to have a lot of fun supporting their hometown favorites, and seeing how the competition in Europe and Australia stacks up. This is democracy on a gay and global stage."
The North American contest launched in June with an extensive advertising campaign inviting prospective candidates to enter their Gay.com profile in the contest. Gay.com will accept submissions for Mr. Gay.com until midnight EST on June 23rd. Gay.com’s expert judges will then begin the difficult task of narrowing the field to just 50 fabulous finalists. From July 4th until July 28th, finalists will vie for the support of Gay.com’s millions of members, who will be asked to cast their votes for the profile they feel best represents the "total package" brains, brawn and heart.
Mr. Gay.com North America will go on to vie for the title of Mr. Gay.com Universe against winners from Germany (http://www.de.gay.com), Spain (http://www.es.gay.com), Australia (http://au.gay.com) and the UK (http://uk.gay.com). Each country winner will be awarded $1,000 and flown to New York City for the announcement of the winner of the ultimate title: Mr.Gay.com Universe. The lucky winner will receive $25,000 and exposure as Mr. Gay.com Universe to millions of Gay.com members.
Gay.com is promoting the contest through an extensive advertising campaign that includes on-line banner ads as well as print and outdoor advertising in 23 major U.S. cities. Gay.com is also hosting Mr. Gay.com parties at hot bars and clubs in 15 U.S cities.
Houston Pride & M2M Entertainment Join Forces for Pride Party Season
Houston, TX - The Pride Committee of Houston is excited to partner with M2M Entertainment to provide the official line-up of Pride Parade Weekend Parties for 2004 Pride as Big as Texas. The Pride Committee selected M2M Entertainment because of M2M's ability to produce consistently great, high quality, fun, professionally-managed events in safe, clean, pleasurable venues, while engaging the talents of internationally and nationally acclaimed DJs, recording artists and performance artists. The 2004 Pride Parties looks to be the beginning of a long term relationship between M2M and the Pride Committee as part of a push to make Pride month the party season in Houston.
The events of the Pride weekend include three official parties and a street festival all of which will showcase M2M Entertainment's super organization, great venues, and featured artists. The Official Pre-Parade Party on Fri., June 25 from 9pm til 3am will feature Grammy award winning DJ and remixer Hex Hector under the bewitching lights of the Boaka Bar (1008 Prairie at Main). Hector is known for his eclectic musical choices which he attributes to a music filled childhood. He has the ability to keep dancers on the floor all night with the depth and quality of his remixes. M2M Entertainment introduces newcomer DJ Justin Stephens in the adjoining Groove Lounge.
On June 26, before the beginning of the Parade, the Pre-Parade Festival will have food, beverage and a M2M dance tent featuring a variety of DJ talent to put everyone in just the mood for the Pride Parade as Big as Texas. The street Festival will be held at Westheimer and Yoakum from 4 to 11pm.
The Official Pride Post-Parade Party will begin at 10pm at Houston's premier night spot Club Go (2001 Commerce at Chartres) with its dynamic interior design. The Post-Parade Party will feature DJ Warren Gluck and vocalist Pat Hodges. Gluck, a veteran of the party circuit and the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Party, the world's largest dance party, has an upbeat musical style with an accent on big vocals. He can also play a dark, mysterious program when a party theme calls for a different kind of journey. Singer and actress, Pat Hodges, is currently marking her fourth showing on the Billboard Club Chart with her hit Saving My Love. Her tremendous voice and presence will electrify the evening.
To cap off the evening, the Official Pride After-Party will feature DJ and remix artist Dawna Montel, performance artist Dynasty, and DJ Chris Sill at Opus (412 Main at Prairie) from 3:30 til 10:00am the morning of June 27. Dawna Montel, known for her signature music style, was one of the first female Los Angeles DJs to make a name for herself and continues to be a major player on the California party circuit. Dynasty will hit the stage with a flash of color and motion and keep the audience's attention glued to the stage.
Advance tickets for the Official Pride Parties are available at M2M Fashion, M's Liquor or on the Pride website (www.pridehouston.org). The Pride Committee and M2M have also chosen to make party tickets available as part of a special Pride Pack of tickets in advance so that prepared partygoers can be given the red carpet treatment at all official Pride events and parties on the weekend of June 25 - 27. An advance ticket purchase will be grant Pride visitors with a place on the VIP list, a bleacher seat with a great view of the parade, and an assured place at the premier parties without annoying waits in long lines for only $100. Check for availability on the Pride website (www.pridehouston.org).
For you out-of-town Pride visitors to Houston, the Pride Committee announces that the InterContinental Hotel, an official Pride sponsor, is granting a special hotel promotion so that you can be guaranteed of an exciting and fun experience for couples or singles. The InterContinental Houston in the Galleria offers a luxury experience for Pride, with rooms and services geared to the tastes of sophisticated travelers. Contact the InterContinental Hotel at www.intercontinental.com/pride for special Pride rates of $129 a night. Pride attendees willing to plan in advance are sure to have a very special, VIP experience at Pride as Big as Texas in 2004.
For more information about the Pride 2004 events or how to participate in Pride activities, call the PrideLine at 713.529.6979 or e-mail info@pridehouston.org.
NO/AIDS Task Force Holds 9th Annual Dining For Life July 15th
New Orleans - On Thurs., July 15th, NO/AIDS Task Force is asking locals to make a date to make a difference and dine out for its ninth annual Dining for Life fund-raiser. The Task Force has teamed up with over 50 local restaurants to raise funds for NO/AIDS, which has been serving the Greater New Orleans area for twenty years.
It’s simple. Dine at one of the more than 50 restaurants participating, order your favorite culinary delights, sit back, relax and enjoy! At the end of the day, those participating restaurants will donate 25 percent of their proceeds to NO/AIDS Task Force.
Since its inception, Dining For Life has raised over $380,000 to support the efforts of the Task Force.
The agency was created in 1983 with only 14 reported cases of AIDS in New Orleans, and now proudly serves 12 parishes. To date, over 20,000 men, women and children have tested positive for HIV in Louisiana. More than 50% of those reported cases are in the Greater New Orleans area, ranking the Crescent City 7th in the nation per capita. NO/AIDS Task Force assists those infected with HIV/AIDS by providing a continuum of services such as: The Louisiana Statewide HIV Hotline, early intervention services, prevention education, HIV antibody testing and counseling, community outreach, mental health services, case management, housing coordination, medication distribution, meal delivery and a food bank program. Proceeds from this event will go directly to providing these vital services to New Orleans and its surrounding communities.
Event Sponsors for Dining For Life are: Abita Brewing Company, RAIN Vodka, Ambush Magazine, City Business, Gambit Weekly, The Times Picayune, Where Y’ AT Magazine, Kiss 104.1FM, WWL-TV, Phelps-Dunbar and The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
For More information on Dining For Life, log onto www.noaidstaskforce.org, or call 504.821.2601, ext. 250.
I Will, I Do, We Did Chronicles Struggle for Gay Marriage Rights
Palm Springs, CA - Q Television Network (Pink Sheets: QBID) announces the details of an original documentary exploring gay marriage and the issue’s prominence in the gay rights movement.
I Will, I Do, We Did offers an inside look at the journey taken by a dozen same-sex couples during this historic time, documenting the political and community chain of events that resulted in San Francisco becoming the first city in the nation to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples.
A joint production by Q Television Network and Roland Joseph Torres, principal of production firm Red Soapbox Visual Media, LLC, I Will, I Do, We Did is an example of Q Television’s dedication to offering viewers programs that educate, inform and entertain.
"Marriage rights are a top concern of the gay and lesbian community," observes vice president of programming and acquisitions Steven Grunberg. "Since Q Television Network was built by the gay community for the gay community, it was obvious that one of our first projects would focus on this issue."
A preview of the documentary premiered in May at the National Cable & Telecommunication Association’s annual industry conference and was included in a successful five-hour sample broadcast on May 15. The film is also airing as part of Q Television Network’s industry launch, which began June 1. The network is available for viewing on Intelsat America’s 7, 129 degrees West, Channel 1. A public launch is planned for July 2004.
Q Television and Red Soapbox Visual Media are currently in preproduction on two additional collaborations: a behind-the-scenes look at the San Francisco PRIDE festival and a follow-up to I Will, I Do, We Did. The team’s second gay marriage film will consider the effects of divorce on the gay community and include the perspectives of judges and lawyers, as well as the couples interviewed for the film.
Q Television Network was organized to create and develop a network devoted to providing television programming for the gay and lesbian community. While the company expects much of its subscriber base to be comprised of members of the gay and lesbian population, management also believes that quality programming about the gay and lesbian experience, designed to entertain, educate and inform, will attract many other segments of the viewing public. The company’s programming will be available on a subscription basis to those desiring its programming. The network will broadcast 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Providing distribution via satellite ensures availability of the network across the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Community Coffee To Introduce New Look
Baton Rouge, LA - For 85 years, people throughout Louisiana have supported the growth of a local favorite, Community Coffee Company. It is in their honor that the company is very pleased to announce that the Community® Coffee Red Bag™ design is slated for a new look and will be officially introduced later this year. "Our customers expect our products and packaging to be innovative and up with the times. The new look will be an exciting evolution of our current design, while remaining true to our heritage," said Matthew Saurage, Director of Product Development and a fourth-generation owner of the company.
"Although our new look is still under development, one thing is certain: the Community Coffee package will retain its signature red color. Also, our customers should be assured that the distinctive aroma and taste of their Community Coffee will not change. In addition, products in the Red Bag family will remain in vacuum-fresh, one pound (16oz.) packages," said Randy Russ, President and CEO.
Customers around the state were involved in evaluating potential changes in the design. "We are very fortunate to have so many customers who are passionate about Community Coffee. Their feedback has been invaluable in helping us create a great new look that is unmistakably Community Coffee. After 85 years we still rely on our customers to help us become a better company," said Saurage.
Community Coffee last updated its Red Bag design in the early 1990s. The Red Bag family of products includes Dark, Between, Medium, Light Medium, Lite and New Orleans Blend®.
Community Coffee was founded in 1919 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by Henry Norman "Cap" Saurage. Today, Community Coffee is still family-owned and operated and is the largest family-owned retail coffee brand in America. Community products are available in Louisiana, Texas and the Southeast in grocery stores, offices, restaurants, hotels and convenience stores. The products can also be found at CC’s® Coffee House locations in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans as well as through CommunityCoffee.com. Community proudly roasts and packages its fine coffees locally, in Louisiana. For more information, visit CommunityCoffee.com, or call 1.800.525.5583.

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