DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

Ogopogo "Lake Demon of Okanagan" BEHAVIOR     Ogopogo is said to move at great speed, coiling its body in vertical undulations and propelling itself forward with a powerful tail. It is believed that the creature prowls the depths of Lake Okanagan and preys on the lake's 22 known species of fish, such as salmon, trout, burbot and chub. WHEREABOUTS    Located 300 miles northeast of Seattle, Canada's Lake Okanagan is said to be the home of a mysterious creature, the Lake Demon of Okanagan. Known to locals as "Ogopogo" and to Native Americans as N'ha-a-itk, it is believed that the creature makes its home in the part of the lake called Squally Point. VITAL STATS    Eyewitness accounts report that the beast is a huge serpentine creature with smooth dark skin, large eyes and an elongated head. Ogopogo has been estimated to measure about 60 feet in length and its body is said to be thicker than a telephone pole. RELATIVES    The Og...

   Mahalia Jackson, often called the greatest gospel singer, returned to her hometown to appear at the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April of 1970. While attending the Louisiana Heritage Fair in Congo Square (then known as Beauregard Square), she and Duke Ellington, who also appeared at the event, came upon the Eureka Brass Band leading a crowd of second-line revelers through the Festival grounds. George Wein, producer of the Festival, handed Ms. Jackson a microphone, she sang along with the band and joined the parade…and the spirit of Jazz Fest was born. This spontaneous, momentous scene—this meeting of jazz and heritage—has stood for decades since as a stirring symbol of the authenticity of the celebration that was destined to become a cultural force.    From the very beginning, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event that would have great cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festiv...