Category Archives: Ascension

Greg Fischer Editor-in-chief @AscensionEditor

Louisiana's Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) elected new officers at a Leadership and Orientation Seminar held July 24-25, 2017 at the Louisiana State Capitol, according to a recent LYAC press release.

St. James native and Ascension Catholic student Nydia Cooper was elected Historian. Cooper is an exceptional student judging from a June 23 LYAC press release, which reads:

"Cooper is a 15-year-old honor student at Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. She is currently in the National Honor Society; seven-year member at large with St. James Parish 4-H; Vice-Grand lady for St. James Catholic Church Junior Catholic Daughters; State 4-H Citizenship Board Member; Diocese of Baton Rouge Youth Board Member; St. James Parish 4-H Impact Club (Junior Leaders) Member; State 4-H Co-Op Camp Treasurer; St. James Parish 4-H Shooting Sport Team Member; Member of Ascension Catholic High School band, powerlifting team and tennis team. Nydia has a 3rd Degree Level II black belt in Taekwondo. Recently, Nydia placed runner-up in the category of photo illustration with the Rochester Institute of Technology."

Other newly elected LYAC officers are: President Marian Luzier, Walker High School, Walker; Vice President Reed Broussard, Teurlings Catholic High School, Youngsville; Secretary Ruby Roberg, West Feliciana High School, St. Francisville; Parliamentarian Jesse Landry, West Feliciana High School, St. Francisville; Communications Officer Katie Hall, Ouachita Christian School, Monroe.

Under this leadership, the council gets to select issues to discuss with Louisiana legislators for the upcoming 2018 Regular Session of the legislature.

"The goal is to get legislation sponsored, introduced and passed next year," according to the press release. "Now in its tenth year, LYAC facilitates the communication between youth and the legislature and gives students the unique opportunity to be involved in the workings of state government."

ACHS senior Micah Daggs also serves on the council.

Originally posted here:

Ascension Catholic youth named LYAC historian - Post South

The former Marine general is unlikely to succeed in his new job, even as his appointment contributes to the decay of American civil-military relations.

Donald Trump is not much of a man. He feels sorry for himself, he whines, he gropes women; he bullies the weak. He brags and he lies. As a young man, this self-proclaimed athlete collected five draft deferments rather than wear his countrys uniform. He doesnt even work out. The motto emblazoned on Trumps bogus coat of arms should probably be faithless, which makes it odd that he has picked as his chief of staff a general steeled in a service whose motto is ever faithful. (The Trump coat of arms wasreportedly liftedfrom another family, with the motto integrity replacedinevitablybyTrump.)

John Kelly, retired Marine four-star and new White House chief of staff, has been throughout his career everything Trump is not: He has endured more than Trump could imagine, and has displayed virtues that Trump may not understand and certainly has not exhibited, among them candor, courage, and discipline. Which is why some observers have welcomed Kellys hiring as evidence that perhaps the president is learning, that maybe now we will have a disciplined White House that will focus on the business of public policy. Maybe the early morning tweets will diminish or evenstop.

Trumps pick of Kelly is probably better understood in a broader and darker context. That includesa speechthat he gave the same day to New Yorks Suffolk County Police Department calling on cops to bang suspects heads into squad cars; the brusque, uncoordinateddismissalof transgender service personnel by presidential tweet; aspeecha week earlier at the commissioning of USSGerald R. Fordurging sailors to lobby their representatives; a harangue to 30,000 Boy Scouts that includeda rant about loyalty, and that earned him an astonishing rebuke from the head of the Boy Scouts of America; and a longer history of toying around the edge of inciting violence, to includethe assassination of his opponentin the lastelection.

As the coils of the Russia investigation grow tighter, as his failures in Congress mount, Trump reaches for what he knowsdemagoguery of the rawest sort. He reaches as well for what he thinks of as his base, which includes (he believes) the military, many of whose leaders are actually quietly appalled by what he represents. He has picked Kelly not because of his political or administrative skills but because he thinks of him as a killera term of praise in his lexicon, which is why he likes referring to his secretary of defense as Mad Dog Mattis, a nickname the former general rejects. Kelly will not organize Goon Squads for Trump, but the president would probably not mind if he did. More to the point, Kellys selection, and that of a foul-mouthed financier from New York as Trumps communications director, tells us not that Trump is planning on moderating his behavior, but rather on going to the mattresses. He just may have picked the wrong guy for that mission, thatsall.

Kellys decision to take the job lends itself to multiple explanations. It may be an irresistible call to duty by someone who thinks of the president mainly as commander-in-chief; it may be an act of deep, quiet patriotism by someone who intends to shield the country from Trumps lawless worst; it may reflect personal ambition, or mere hankering for as difficult a management challenge as one could imagine; or it may reflect a sneaking admiration for the boorish businessman who has successfully slapped around the politicians of left and right that many officers, and Marines in particular, despise as cowardly and corrupt. Kelly once handed a ceremonial saber to the President while unfunnily suggesting that he use it on the press. In April, hesaidthe following: If lawmakers do not like the laws theyve passed and we are charged to enforce, then they should have the courage and skill to change the laws. Otherwise they should shut up and support the men and women on the front lines. A less supine Congress might have noticed the discourtesy and reacted sharply to being told to shutup.

His occasionally contemptuous attitude towards the press and Congress, though, is only one reason why it is highly unlikely that Kelly will succeed. Trump will remain Trump, and the various denizens of the White House are unlikely to treat Kelly with much more deference than they treat one another. He will discover that he is no longer a general, or even a cabinet secretary, but a political functionaryneither more norless.

There was a reason why he spent 42 years on active duty rather than run for mayor of Boston. He probably already knows, but if not he will soon learn, that he will be as dispensable as his predecessor, that Trump hates any of his subordinates being too powerful or too visible. And worst of all, he will soon find himself wrestling with the moral corruption that being close to this man entails. You cannot work directly for Trump while adhering to a code of honesty, integrity, and lawfulness. Sooner or later Kelly will have to defend the White Houses jabber about fake news, alternative facts, and witch hunts. He will have to ascribe to Trump virtues that he does not possess, and deny the moral lapses and quite possibly the crimes that he hascommitted.

There is one further reason to find this appointment depressing. It contributes to the continuing decay of American civil-military relations. Those of us who were relieved to see James Mattis as secretary of defense, H. R. McMaster as national-security adviser, and Kelly himself as secretary of Homeland Security, felt that way partly out of appreciation for the virtues of all three men, but also, very largely, out of relief that their sanity might contain their bosss craziness. But it is inappropriate to have so many generals in policy-making positions; it is profoundly wrong to have a president regard the military as a constituency, and it is corrupting to have the Republican Party, such as it is, act as though generals have if not a monopoly then at least dominant market share in the qualities of executive ability and patriotism. It is unwise to have higher-level positions in the hands of officials who have openly expressed disdain for Congressnow a dangerously weak branch ofgovernment.

Trump, who has no idea how many articles there are in the Constitution, neither knows nor cares about any of the niceties of civil-military relations. To their credit, Kelly, Mattis, and McMaster have thought long and hard about these issues. But like any of us they have their individual limitations, and like any of us, their characters can be eroded by the whirlpool of moral and political corruption that is Donald Trump. The Marines live by a hard code, and John Kelly has endured tests of character more difficult than most of us can conceive. But his hardest tests lie ahead, and neither he nor anyone else can be sure that he will passthem.

Go here to read the rest:

The Downsides of John Kelly's Ascension - Defense One - Defense One

Back to school

Ascension Parish public school students return to class on Aug. 9.

Drivers are reminded to slow down in school zones and keep a watchful eye out for children at bus stops.

Let the learning begin.

The Human Rights Celebration for Church Women United begins at 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Landry United Methodist Church, 3209 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. The theme is Kindling New Fires of Hope.

St. Landrys pastor, Constance Saizon, also is the president of Church Women United.

The Donaldsonville arts, crafts and farmers market is set from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Louisiana Square.

Rewind performs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday in Crescent Park in Donaldsonville. The free concert is part of the Donaldsonville Downtown Live @Crescent series.

Call (225) 445-1383 for details.

The Ascension Parish Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Ascension Parish Fire District 3, 18345 Bluff Road, Prairieville, at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.

RSVP online at http://bit.ly/2u5E75t.

St. Elizabeth Hospital is offering an Alzheimers Lunch and Learn with Marcia Kirk and Dana Territo in the Sister Linda conference room at noon Wednesday.

The Lunch and Learn will focus on Laughter Yoga, a practice involving prolonged voluntary laughter. Studies indicate voluntary laughter may have medically beneficial effects to cardiovascular health and mood.

Registration is required for this free program. Call (225) 621-2906.

Rouses Market is hosting Ask the Experts: Managing and Living with Arthritis in the second-floor mezzanine of its 14635 Airline Highway location in Gonzales, on the corner of Airline and Duplessis, at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10.

The speaker is Dr. Robert Moukarzel, an orthopedic surgeon with St. Elizabeth Hospitals Orthopaedic and Sports Clinic. A dietitian and certified orthopedic nurse also will be on hand to talk about foods and ingredients that reduce inflammation and promote joint health.

There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. Call (225) 673-4255 or (225) 621-2906.

Advance registration is being accepted for a free small business seminar at Ascension Parish Librarys Gonzales Branch at 1 p.m. Aug. 16.

A senior business consultant from the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southern University and A&M College-Baton Rouge will help attendees determine the feasibility of their ideas and discuss how to get a small business loan.

Call (225) 647-3955 to register.

Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1996; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate.com. Deadline: noon Monday.

Excerpt from:

Around Ascension for Aug. 3, 2017 - The Advocate

MacKenzie said Ascension hired FreemanWhite, a consulting and design company in Chicago, to evaluate its Michigan hospitals and recommend improvements over the next several years.

In November, St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital will break ground on a $48.1 million expansion project. The expansion, the largest in the hospital's history, will expand the east tower of the hospital from four to seven floors, convert 75 rooms into private patient rooms and renovate 42 other private rooms.

"They went to Macomb and characterized it as a very hard-working hospital for the amount of space contained in it," said MacKenzie.

St. John Macomb Hospital and St. John Oakland Hospital merged in 2007, and the hospital operates two campuses, one in Warren with 376 licensed beds and the other in Madison Heights with 159 beds.

By opening another 15 new private beds, St. John Macomb campus will have 220 private rooms, or 58 percent of the hospital's total beds. The project is expected to be completed the summer of 2019. The hospital also is launching a $2 million fund-raising campaign.

"The volume has been increasing and exceeding the capabilities of the hospital," she said. "We increased the building from four to seven floors. It is a bed tower."

An osteopathic hospital, St. John Macomb-Oakland trains 200 residents in 20 specialties, making it one of the largest osteopathic training programs in the country.

Providence-Providence Park Hospital in Southfield, another two-campus hospital with the second campus in Novi, is planning a three-year, $15 million renovation project to upgrade and renovate several service areas.

MacKenzie said upgrading at the Southfield campus will include critical care units, medical/surgical units and the birthing center. In addition, new flooring, wall coverings, painting, lighting upgrades, and upgrades to nursing stations and patient furnishings throughout inpatient units and patient rooms will be done.

"The renovations at Providence Hospital and the addition of more private rooms at St. John Macomb-Oakland will improve efficiency and safety, as well as provide a more pleasing environment for healing for patients and families," MacKenzie said.

Ascension Health Michigan is part of St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. with 141 hospitals. Ascension Health Michigan operates 15 hospitals and hundreds of related health care facilities that together employ more than 27,000 people.

In fiscal year 2016 ended June 30, Ascension Health earned $753 million in operating income for a 3.4 percent margin. Through nine months of fiscal 2017, Ascension earned $1.39 billion in net for an 8.1 percent margin on revenue of $17.1 billion, according to Ascension's audited financial statements.

Excerpt from:

Ascension plans $63.1 million in capital projects for Macomb-Oakland and Providence hospitals - Crain's Detroit Business

Football is back

Man, its hot probably way too hot to even think about football. But like it or not, the time is now. I remember those hot August days in shorts and helmets, hitting the practice field back at East Ascension in my sophomore year.

Well, thats what its going to be like for the young men who hit the practice field for the Ascension Christian Lions starting Aug. 2. Its two times a day as they get in physical shape and prepare to build stamina for those Friday nights that will be here before you know it.

The football program is still considered pretty young as the fledgling team took to the field back in 2009 and struggled just like any beginning team might be expected. The fact is, Ascension Christian is still a small private school and that limits the pool of prospective players to choose from.

Until a few years ago, most players had to play on both sides of the ball, which demands much more physical stamina. That took its toll on the Lions team but not their determination to be a competitive football team in time. In their first four years of existence, the gritty Lions had four 0-fers under their belts and an 0-26 record.

In 2013, took the reins as head coach for the Ascension Christian Lions with one goal in mind.

I wanted our kids to be able to play football in high school. We hadnt won a game in four years and we were struggling with numbers as a small school. Basically, we were just trying to keep the program alive, Puryear said.

Well, in his first year the team struggled to what most would consider a dismal year with a 2-7 record.

I feel like we developed more with each game and established that we could play football. We were in a tough district. So we accomplished a couple of things. We put the program in the right direction and we won or first game in team history, Puryear said.

In 2014, the team went 3-7 with one more win that the previous year. In 2015, the Lions surprised everybody and even themselves with a 6-4 season record. That set pretty high expectations, especially from the fans, to do even better the next season, but could they produce?

For the 2016 season, Puryear and his Lions were looking for a team motto that would define the path forward for this program that would stick.

I picked up a book by Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelley that talked a lot about culture of a program that stuck with me. So our motto became Culture Beats Scheme, the coach said. Because of our low numbers, some of these kids are playing football for the first time, our lack of size and speed; we took on the culture of strong work ethics. We really had to learn to do the little things well.

That strong work ethic paid off in spades as the Lions went 8-2 on the season on the arm and running ability of senior quarterback Peyton Ballinger.

The guy threw for over 2,700 yards and our receivers, especially Ian Carter, caught the ball extremely well, Puryear said. The number of breakout players we had exceeded my expectations. Most of our senior class had been with me since the start of my career as freshmen. It all came together for a memorable season.

The very thing that created the opportunity for the successful season will be the big thing Ascension Christian will have to overcome in the 2017 season.

Were going to have to replace about 4,000 yards of offense this year. Losing Peyton Ballinger and Ian Carter, who led the state in receiving, along with our running backs leaves a big hole. The backbone of our defense is gone as well. Nick Schexnayder on the defensive line and Dylan Capiel in our linebacking corps gave opposing offenses fits, Puryear said.

Because the team has developed the work ethic of the culture beats scheme attitude, Puryear is confident that the Lions will be very competitive in 2017.

We have two quarterbacks working for the offense. One is Zack Diez and the other is Erik Varnado. Zack has played quarterback before in his seventh through ninth grade and Erik is just a good athlete who helped our team last year as a ninth-grader, he said.

Diez is a freshman, and Varnado is a sophomore. Their abilities are somewhat unknown.

Tyler Cambre is a junior who will play both ways as a slot receiver on offense and strong safety on defense. Another sophomore who will help at the running back position is Byron Hansley. Two bright spots on the defense helping the Lions defense at the linebacking position will be seniors Landon Ortego and Brennan Tramonte. One tough break for the Lions will be the loss of 6-foot-2-inch, 318-pound Eric Sims at the right offensive tackle. Sims tore up his knee playing soccer and will be out for his senior year.

The Ascension Christian Lions will have a tough time exceeding their 8-2 record from last year but the program has developed into something that will last for a long time. Good luck, Lions!

The summer heat has kicked in on all burners. So has the fishing in our great state known as the Sportsmans Paradise. Its a title that has been earned over the years as one would be hard pressed to find a better place to fish in terms of numbers and opportunities.

The Atchafalaya Basin is on the fall, which means the Spillway is getting red hot, as well as the Lake Verret area. Early morning is always good for some top-water action in terms of poppers and hollow body frogs. As the day goes on, the action usually picks up fishing plastic baits. June bug has been the choice of color.

Bayou Black and the marsh has been on the map as the best place for the last month but things have slowed down a little as the water has fallen. Its still very good with top water baits early but the action heats up on the points as the day goes on.

A big-time congrats goes out to two of Gonzales own professional anglers as Greg Hackney finished in ninth place way up north on Lake Champlain at a recent tournament. The Hack Attack steadily improved his weight each of the three days as he brought limits of 17 pounds, 18 pounds, 11 ounces and 19 pounds, 3 ounces to the scales for a total of 54 pounds, 14 ounces and earned a check for $12,000.

Gerald Spohrer stayed really consistent with his weights of 17 pounds, 13 ounces, 17 pounds, 2 ounces and 16 pounds, 4 ounces for a finishing weight of 51 pounds, 3 ounces and a 28th place finish. His earnings for the trek up north were $10,000.

Read more:

Ascension Athletics for Aug. 3, 2017 - The Advocate

Crittenton Hospital in Rochester has a new name.(Photo: Daniel Mears / Detroit News file)

Rochester-based Crittenton Hospital Medical Center was named Ascension Crittenton Hospital on Tuesday, becoming the first of 15 Michigan hospitals to be unified under the Ascension name over the next 12 months.

The nearly 50-year-old Ascension Crittenton Hospital was acquired by the Catholic health system in October 2015. Ascension is the largest nonprofit health system in the United States.

This is an important step forward for our hospital and the communities we serve as we work to enhance our commitment to providing compassionate, personalized care for all, Margaret Dimond, president and CEO of Ascension Crittenton Hospital, said in a press release Tuesday.

The name change nearly coincides with Crittentons 50th anniversary. The hospital treated its first patients on Aug. 15, 1967. Major exterior hospital signage was changed at entrances and in key internal areas to reflect the new name of the hospital.

Crittenton is the first hospital nationally to adopt Ascensions new naming and logo under an initiative announced in September to strengthen the sprawling health systems identity across 2,500 sites, including 141 hospitals. Ascension Crittenton has approximately 1,000 associates, 500 doctors and 290 beds.

By connecting the care we provide, we make it easier for patients and communities to find the care they need, when and how they need it, Nick Ragone, an Ascension senior vice president and chief marketing and communications Officer, said in a press release.

Other hospitals in the chain include St. John Providence in southeast Michigan; Borgess Health in Kalamazoo; Genesys in Grand Blanc; St. Marys of Michigan in Saginaw and Standish, and St. Joseph Health System in Tawas.

kbouffard@detroitnews.com

Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2tWAXSh

See more here:

Crittenton Hospital in Rochester gets new name - Detroit News - The Detroit News

Ascension Crittenton Hospital in Rochester Hills on Tuesday became the first hospital in the 141-hospital St. Louis-based Ascension Health family to receive a new name under the nonprofit health system's rebranding strategy.

Over the next 12 months, 14 other Ascension hospitals in Michigan will add Ascension to the beginning of their names, Ascension executives said in a statement.

For example, Providence Hospital in Southfield will soon be known as Ascension Providence Hospital and St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit will become Ascension St. John Hospital.

In 2018, the name of metro Detroit's five-hospital St. John Providence Health System name will be retired and folded into the management of Ascension Health Michigan.

Last September, Gwen MacKenzie, Ascension's senior vice president and Michigan market executive, told Crain's about the health care rebranding and management integration plan that will tie all properties under one surname and reporting structure.

Ascension medical groups, nursing homes and other sites of care also will prominently feature the Ascension name. Ascension's other 126 hospitals in Wisconsin and 22 other states will also change their names in the coming year.

Other regional Ascension hospital groups include Borgess Health in Kalamazoo; Genesys Health in Grand Blanc; St. Joseph Health System in Tawas City; and St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw.

Last year, Ascension eliminated local hospital and regional boards and created the Southeast Michigan Hospital Board, the West Michigan Hospital Board, the Mid-Michigan Hospital Board and the Michigan Market Board that oversees all Ascension properties in the state.

Originally posted here:

Crittenton Hospital in Rochester Hills is first to be renamed in Ascension Health system - Crain's Detroit Business

Nashville Business Journal

Women of Influence: Karen Springer; Saint Thomas Health, Ascension Health Nashville Business Journal Karen Springer serves as the Tennessee ministry market executive and president/CEO of Saint Thomas Health and senior vice president of Ascension Health. Saint Thomas Health is comprised of nine hospitals in Middle Tennessee and is part of St.

Here is the original post:

Women of Influence: Karen Springer; Saint Thomas Health, Ascension Health - Nashville Business Journal

Ascension Crittenton Hospital in Rochester Hills on Tuesday became the first hospital in the 141-hospital St. Louis-based Ascension Health family to receive a new name under the nonprofit health system's rebranding strategy.

Over the next 12 months, 14 other Ascension hospitals in Michigan will add Ascension to the beginning of their names, Ascension executives said in a statement.

For example, Providence Hospital in Southfield will soon be known as Ascension Providence Hospital and St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit will become Ascension St. John Hospital.

In 2018, the name of metro Detroit's five-hospital St. John Providence Health System name will be retired and folded into the management of Ascension Health Michigan.

Last September, Gwen MacKenzie, Ascension's senior vice president and Michigan market executive, told Crain's about the health care rebranding and management integration plan that will tie all properties under one surname and reporting structure.

Ascension medical groups, nursing homes and other sites of care also will prominently feature the Ascension name. Ascension's other 126 hospitals in Wisconsin and 22 other states will also change their names in the coming year.

Other regional Ascension hospital groups include Borgess Health in Kalamazoo; Genesys Health in Grand Blanc; St. Joseph Health System in Tawas City; and St. Mary's of Michigan in Saginaw.

Last year, Ascension eliminated local hospital and regional boards and created the Southeast Michigan Hospital Board, the West Michigan Hospital Board, the Mid-Michigan Hospital Board and the Michigan Market Board that oversees all Ascension properties in the state.

See more here:

Ascension Crittenton Hospital is first to be renamed in Ascension ... - Crain's Detroit Business

Director Keith Dixon sums up Tracy Letts' "August: Osage County" in one sentence.

"We put the fun in family dysfunction," Dixon says.

He can't help laughing, partly because of his quip and partly because of some comic moments produced by the dysfunction in Letts' Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

The show is billed as a dark comedy, though its dramatic moments can sometimes overshadow the laughter. Audiences can judge for themselves when Ascension Community Theatre opens "August: Osage County" on Thursday.

"This story is about a lot of things," Dixon says. "It's about adult children's relationships with their parents, it's about what happens when you hold secrets for a long time without airing grievances, and it's about how it doesn't always mean you're the winner if you're the last one standing."

The play is Dixon's return to directing area community theater since leaving his job as Theatre Baton Rouge's artistic director in 2014 to take the same position at Spokane Civic Theatre in Spokane, Washington.

He returned to Baton Rouge in 2016, where he's now the communications and development director at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

"It feels good to be back directing in a theater," he says. "And this isn't just any play this is a big one."

The play will be performed on a thrust stage, where the audience is positioned three-quarters of the way around the stage.

"It's like we're making them a part of the family, too," Dixon says.

"August: Osage County"

won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, along with six Tony Awards, including one for Best Play, in the same year.

"Some of our audience members might know the play from the (2013) movie starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts," Dixon says.

The story takes place over several weeks, opening with patriarch Beverly Weston hiring a young Native American woman as a caregiver for his drug-addicted wife, Violet. Beverly disappears, the family gathers, personalities clash and secrets surface.

Then comes the bombshell of Beverly's whereabouts.

"I don't want to give away a spoiler," Dixon says. "But it's a major turning point in the play."

The story calls for seven actresses and six actors, who all play a big part in the story. Dixon has only praise for his cast.

"I have seven amazing women in this show, which is primarily about them," Dixon says. "But I don't want to take away from the men in the family, because they play an integral role in driving the plot. The six men I have in these roles are great."

Dixon also cautions his potential audiences that the play has strong language.

"It's definitely an adult play, but even though the situation is extreme, the audience will be able to relate to it, because it's about family and family conflict," he says.

It's a gathering where parents still see their adult children as young children, where siblings forge mixed relationships of love and resentment and where addiction is an obvious, yet hidden, issue.

"They've been holding on to so much," Dixon says. "And in the end, it's also about letting go."

An Ascension Community Theatre production

WHEN: Thursdays through Sundays, Aug. 3-6 and Aug. 10-13. Performances at 7 p.m.;Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Ascension Community Theatre, 823 Felicity St., Gonzales

TICKETS/INFO:$22.50-$25. (225) 647-1230 or actgonzalesla.wixsite.com/actsite.

Follow Robin Miller on Twitter, @rmillerbr.

Follow this link:

Ascension Community Theatre's 'August: Osage County' puts the 'fun' in family dysfunction - The Advocate