Thursday, March 17, 2016
News
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CONTACT: [email protected]
‘No Legs’ takes over Grambling
ASHLEY JOHNSON
Contributing writer
Reginald Nelson, a Ruston, Louisiana native, is the
owner of Nelson’s Soul Food
Restaurant and Café that has
recently opened in Grambling.
It is comfortably located at 306
College Ave, across the street
from Washington- Johnson
complex.
The restaurant is open
Monday through Friday from
10:00 a.m. until Midnight. The
menu includes burgers, salads,
sandwiches and much more
but they specialize in burgers
and chicken salads.
On Saturdays and Sunday’s
the café is open from 12 p.m.
to 8 p.m. “On Sundays and
Wednesdays, we plan to have
different Soul Food entrees
available,” said Nelson.
Nelson got his start in
the kitchen as a young child,
helping his grandmother prepare dinner. He made his first
Thanksgiving dinner at the age
of 12.
Starting next month the
restaurant will open at 6 a.m.
to offer an expanded breakfast which will include waffles,
grits, bacon, eggs and sausage.
KASSANDRA MERRITT/The Gramblinite
Nelson’s Soul Food Restaurant owner Reginald Nelson, his daughter Kashenna Nelson (left) and cashier Kash Williams pose
as they await the arrival of customers.
Also, they plan to dedicate
Wednesday evenings as karaoke night once business starts
to pick up.
The establishment offers
free Wi-Fi and there is an open
lounge for customers to dine
in and work on their assignments. “The business is doing
pretty good.
The Grambling community
has been very excepting and
has welcomed me in with open
arms,” said the owner, who
is an alumni of Ruston High
School’ class of 1985.
Nelson’s Restaurant is a
family owned and operated
establishment. Originally the
restaurant was located in Ruston across the road from Lane
Chapel Church.
During this time, his brother, Walter O’shea Goldsmith,
owned the building of the
restaurant, but when he died
his children took over the business. Most people knew the
restaurant to be named “No
Legs” because Nelson had
both of his legs amputated and
is confined to a wheelchair.
The employees, including his daughter, Kashenna
Nelson, a graduating senior
at GSU, is always happy and
ready to serve each customer.
Their smiling faces are the first
things you notice as you walk
through the door.
“The food was amazing, I’ll
definitely eat there again,” said
Ashley Milton, a senior biology major from Dallas, Texas.
“The salad was very tasty
and fresh,” said Shelby Gilliam,
a senior music education major
from Shreveport, Louisiana.
As some Grambling veterans know, restaurants don’t typically succeed in that building.
“I don’t know what they
did to be unsuccessful, but
my restaurant in Ruston was
successful so I plan to keep it
that way with this place,” said
Nelson.
If you’re in the Grambling
area, stop by Nelson’s Soul
Food Restaurant and Café.
Diet, diabetes, dementia awareness
Foods
to avoid
• Fruit juice cocktails
• De-germed white rice
• Table sugar
• Honey or maple syrup
• Sodas
• Hot cocoa
• White bread or white
pasta
• Desserts made with
refined flour
• Candy bars
• Doughnuts
Healthier Choices
• Beans, dark green,
leafy vegetables
• Citrus fruits
• Sweet potatoes
• Berries (strawberries,
blueberries, blackberries)
• Tomatoes
• Oily fish (steamed)
• Whole grains
• Nuts and seeds
• Fat free milk and yogurt
VICTORIA LOYD
Contributing writer
On Tuesday, the Community Coordinating Council
Inc. and state Rep. Patrick
Jefferson held the first educational seminar of the year,
called Diet, Diabetes and
Dementia Awareness. The
program was held at New
Rocky Valley Baptist Church
in Grambling.
Valena P. Lane, presiding,
gave everyone a warm invitation and orchestrated group
participation in the theme
song “Fruit of the Spirit.”
Pastor Callahan proceeded
with prayer shortly after.
One of the eight area coordinators for the GramblingMount Olive area, Elmira
McCarty, was elated so many
people were eager to come
out. “When you invite someone to come to an event and
they show up it really warms
your heart,” said McCarty.
Greetings were also
given from Lincoln Parish
School Board member Susan
B. Wiley, who briefly shed
light on those affected by the
extreme inclement weather
we experienced recently and
instructed us to keep them in
our prayers. “What a differ-
ence a week makes. Glad to
be here on such a beautiful
dry day!” she said.
As the program progressed, the first speaker Mrs.
Melissa Smith took the podium. Smith, Director of Admissions at Ruston’s Nursing
and Rehabilitation Center, is
a native of Camden, Arkansas, and has been a registered
nurse for over 15 years.
She briefly spoke on
the seven stages of GDS
(Global Deterioration Scale),
which provides caregivers an
overview of the stages of
cognitive function for those
suffering from dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease. Have
you ever walked into a room
and asked yourself, “What
did I come in here for? or
Where’s my phone? Where
are my keys?”
If the answer is yes, then
you’re probably suffering
from Dementia or Alzheimer’s.
This is just simple Stage
One, stress induced forgetfulness. As one graduates
up the scale they experience:
repetition, paranoia, anxiety,
pain, wandering off, agitation,
difficulty completing familiar
tasks, short term memory
loss, confusion, self-inflicted
harm, etc.
The list is endless. This is
why early detection is so important. Four million Americans have been diagnosed
thus far. By 2030 that number will have accrued to 14
million people. Seven out of
10 people are living in home
with this disease and may be
in need of a facility such as
the Rehabilitation Center.
The Center, located on
Highway 80 East, has been
in operation since October
2013 and is