There are plenty of “sweet stories” in the River Parishes.

Two of my favorites that I only recently learned of concern LaPlace residents Meredith Dufrene and Chung-Suk Cutno.

Dufrene is known for baking King Cakes for her family and friends to celebrate with at weddings, birthdays, anniversary parties and baby showers.

Homemade and with instructions for local chefs and kitchen rookies alike to learn from, Dufrene is happy to share her go-to recipe for the Carnival cake.

Cutno, known to must in the region as “Chung,” is the owner of Chung’s Heavenly Café on Belle Terre Boulevard.

After raising a family and seeing her children off through school and into the working world, Chung went to school for herself, focusing on courses in hotel management.

She eventually found her way into a pastry class and used those lessons to open her sweets shop in December 2009.

Six years later, Chung’s Heavenly Café is a community staple for local residents, but also for tourists who frequent the area via her location near Interstate 10.

One of the reasons patrons enjoy stopping by is to see her annual gingerbread house, which is prominently displayed each holiday season.

Dufrene and Chung exemplify the giving spirit of the Christmas season, sentiments that can be shared year-round.

We, at L’OBSERVATEUR, are excited when we get a chance to share these stories with our readers and community. Features on Dufrene and Chung are part of the package we’re publishing Dec. 30, when the latest edition of River Parishes Magazine, C’EST LA VIE hits newsstands.

Contributing writers Raquel Derganz Baker, Lori Lyons, Monique Roth, Gladys Davis Mulkey, Courtney Griggs and myself have put together the perfect winter lifestyles magazine that’s 100 percent produced by and catered to the River Parishes.

Our marketing team of Christine Browning, Regina Burrell and Jennifer Glidden — special thanks to them — secured the business and sponsorship support needed to produce the all-color, all-glossy magazine, which comes out quarterly.

Be sure to check out our winter edition, which again, publishes Dec. 30.

Some of our stories include:

• As of now, Bill Ironside owns three race cars: A 1967 Porsche 912, a 1995 Porsche 911 SC Carrera and a 1998 Panoz GTRA. The LaPlace resident’s passion for racing has stayed with him as he crossed the country through his career before settling in St. John the Baptist Parish as president of Reserve Telecommunications.

• Kentralyn Johnson-Montgomery, 28, grew up in Winnsboro and today teaches at West St. John Elementary School. The school recently inducted 19 members into the newly formed Jr. Beta Club with a goal of building leaders in the school and helping the community beyond campus. Montgomery is serving as the club’s sponsor. She has a simple answer to the age-old education question — Can math teachers be cool? Her short answer was, “Definitely, yes!”

Learn more in the month’s magazine.

• River Parishes resident Greg McMahon, who works as the New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator, admits he has been fortunate. He’s worked for 23 years in a profession known for traveling but has been lucky to spend more than two decades in just two spots.

“My children only had to move one time,” McMahon said. “My two oldest moved when they were real young, so I’ve been blessed.”

• Jim Planetta is the longtime owner and operator of The Donut Hole in LaPlace. He recently passed on the business to his daughter, Kristie. Planetta says the key to his success comes in the preparation, a recipe that has led to years in business and many satisfied customers. Check out his feature to learn how the good-natured supporter of veterans once wore a dress.

• Caring for your students and leading them hand-in-hand to love learning is how

Judy Rongey describes her approach to teaching prekindergarten students. The St. Rose Elementary veteran teacher was recently named president of Epsilon State, the Louisiana State Organization of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, where she helps lead female educators in spiritual fellowship and honors women who have established giving or who demonstrate potential for distinctive service in education.

We think you will enjoy these stories and many more local features in this month’s River Parishes Magazine.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.