By Kevin Chiri

Joey Scontrino and I can laugh about it today.

But a couple of years ago, it was no laughing matter when I wrote a column and announced that perhaps the most eligible bachelor in St. John Parish had been captured.

Yup, that’s right. Scontrino had proposed to his longtime girlfriend, and their wedding day would be forthcoming, my column said.

At least that’s what the report was. Only problem is that Scontrino didn’t exactly do that, and for some reason he just told me that on one fun afternoon at Belle Terre Country Club where an evening party was already well underway. Had Joey started the partying a little early? Yea, maybe just a bit, he admitted, and maybe that’s why it all came out a bit prematurely.

His “bride-to-me” was stunned the next week when she read that she was engaged, and needless to say, it took some fancy talking to get past the whole thing for both Joey and myself.

Anyway…..that is history.

And guess what?

Today, I get to once again announce that Joey Scontrino is engaged! And guess what? It’s to the same girl!

But this time, Joey swears it’s OK to print it, and more importantly, swears it’s the truth!

So once again, the report I have to give you is that local girl Summer Hodges, 32, has taken the most eligible bachelor in St. John off the market.

Not only do I have the news of this big event happening, but I even got some of the detail from Joey about what was a bit of a funny story about how it happened.

Apparently Mr. Scontrino, still a youthful 47 years of age, might be getting a few of those Alzheimer’s cells settling in since he had his share of problems finally getting this big event taken care of.

As the story goes, Joey and Summer were heading to St. Martin in the Caribbean Islands two weekends ago for a fun-filled couple of days with a few close friends.

Joey had finally decided it was time to pop the question, but as they went to New Orleans Airport, there was the usual mess up with flights. After some work with the airlines, Joey got flights heading out the next morning from Baton Rouge. But once he got to Baton Rouge, guess what? He forgot the ring!

“I called up a friend and told him if he could go to my house and get the ring, and get it to me in Baton Rouge, he could have a free steak dinner on me at Sullivan’s,” Joey said.

Fortunately it worked, so with the beautiful 4 ? carat, yellow-diamond ring tucked away, Joey and friends got aboard the plane and flew to St. Martin.

Joey said he had this elaborate plan of one night at a fantastic French restaurant is the islands, and how he was going to get a waitress to bring out dessert, and the ring would be sitting in the dessert, or around it, or something special like that. Sounds like he also had some other grand thoughts, maybe of musicians showing up, or maybe planes passing overhead…I’m not sure.

But as it turned out, Mr. Big Shot Joey Scontrino, the multi-million dollar top homebuilder for the area, apparently got butterflies and more nervous than he ever imagined.

“I just got so nervous about it all I messed up the whole plan. It just fell apart,” he said, now laughing about it.

So Joey was on the spot. Somewhere during dinner he decided it was time, so he stood up at his seat. But then he sat down. And then he stood up again. And then he sat down.

“I just couldn’t get the words out,” he said.

Finally one of his buddies gave him the push he needed with something like, “dude! Would you just do it!”

Joey said the boys at the table knew of his plan, but he hadn’t told the ladies for fear the word might have gotten out.

And somehow, he finally said something to Summer that closely resembled, “Will you marry me?”

And by the way, she said, “Yes!”

Joey and Summer have been dating for five years, and figure the wedding—which should be the social event of the year for St. John—will probably be somewhere early in 2009.

Of course now I have half the town hoping they get an invitation. And of course, if you don’t get one, I suppose it says a lot about just where you stand on the social scene and with the big shots.

Guess that counts me out.

Joking aside, congratulations you kids. Hope there will be many years of blissful marriage together.

Kevin Chiri is Publisher of L’Observateur and can be reached at (985) 652-9545 or at kchiri@bellsouth.net