Wal Mart Funds ADA Hearing for Fiske

Wal Mart Funds ADA Hearing for Fiske

OAK GROVE — If not being able to hear or see clearly has been your reason you have not been getting out of the house and enjoy movies at the Fiske Theatre in Oak Grove, that is no longer and excuse, as the Oak Grove Wal Mart and Manager John Wimsatt have funded the installation of the most advanced hearing and visual assistance system that is currently being deployed in cinemas across the nation.

“It has always been part of Wal Mart’s mission to give back to the community,” Wimsatt said. “This is just one small way we could make an impact in our community and one that the people could actually see and feel.”

The Ultra Phonic Visual and Assistive Listening System will allow those with hearing impairments to control their own volume by the use of headsets, the same headsets will also provide visual narrative for those with sight impairments by just changing the channel on the set. The headsets will be available free of charge by request at the concession stand.

“We are very grateful for what Wal Mart has done for the theatre and local movie goers.” Adam Holland, President of Holland Entertainment said. “I personally know of three people who enjoy coming to the movies and choose to sit in the cry room so they can control their own volume and one person who enjoys coming to the movies but cannot see that this new system will benefit.”

The assistive listening system was funded by a $1,500 grant from the Wal Mart Foundation to the West Carroll Chamber of Commerce who owns the theatre.

“Doyle Rowland, Fiske Theatre Technician, is in the process of installing the system now. As of today the Assisted Hearing portion of the system is working properly, we expect the visual narrative to be working by the end of the week.” Holland said.

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Chamber Donates Picnic Tables to Police Jury for Courthouse Lawn

Chamber Donates Picnic Tables to Police Jury for Courthouse Lawn

OAK GROVE, La. — The West Carroll Chamber of Commerce recently donated four picnic tables to the West Carroll Parish Police Jury for the Courthouse Yard that it purchased from the Oak Grove FFA.

“During the North Louisiana Sweet Potato Festival this year we borrowed four picnic tables from the City Park for revelers to be able to sit down and enjoy their meals and relax while the kids enjoyed the entertainment on the square,” W.C. Chamber Special Projects Coordinator Adam Holland said. “We saw how popular this addition was to the festival and decided it would be a good idea to purchase tables for the square that could be used for all festivals, and for the Court House Staff and those who do business with the Court House during the year.”

The four tables are made from treated pine and were left natural so they could age with nature and fit into the landscape of the Court House Square which is lined with century old Live Oak Trees.

“Adam contacted me about the possibility of donating the tables to the jury,” W.C. Police Jury President Jack Madden said. “The jury and I felt as if it would be a nice addition to our grounds and would be an asset to the people who work at the Court House to be able to have lunch and get fresh air on pretty days, as well as, a place for those doing business with the Court to be able to get fresh air during breaks without blocking the entrance to the Court House.”

The tables are not anchored down so they can be moved to different areas of the grounds during festival and other events that take place at the Court House.

“With all the help and inconvenience that the workers at the Court House have to go through when we host a festival, this is just one small way we can say thanks. “ Holland said.

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WCNB CLOCK COMES DOWN TO BE RESTORED

WCNB CLOCK COMES DOWN TO BE RESTORED

OAK GROVE, La. — For years she welcomed visitors and helped the local residents keep up with the time as the official time piece of Downtown Oak Grove, La. from her perch at the corner for Briggs and Main before moving down one block to the New, Neo Classical Designed, West Carroll National Bank building for short time from the 1970’s-1990’s before the Late Harold Russell saved her from the scrap yard and put her back on her rightful perch after Regions bought out the bank.

Friday afternoon with the help of Northeast Power Cooperative and Inmates from the West Carroll Parish Sheriffs Office she came down again, but not for long as the West Carroll Chamber of Commerce is sending her off to be completely restored.

“This has been a goal of ours for several years,” W.C. Chamber Special Projects Coordinator Adam Holland said. “With the success of the recent North Louisiana Sweet Potato Festival, we had a little surplus money and the Chamber Board agreed to have the clock and all of its neon tubing restored so she will once again welcome visitors and locals to down town.”

Being over 60 years old much of the neon tubing and the motors that kept the time on the clock have worn out and quit working requiring basically the sign to be completely rebuilt. In March, Carter Sign Company, was called in to do some work on the Fiske Sign and while there Adam Holland had them take a look at the clock and give the chamber an estimate and the repair cost were not as bad as expected.

When completed the Grand Ole Clock with have a new paint job, staying as close to the original colors as possible, courtesy of Ken Mobley at Ken’s Kustoms in Oak Grove; and all of the mechanical parts and neon will be replaced when she returns to her perch this summer.

“It is our goal to have the clock back up and running in time to welcome all of the visitors and former residents who return each year to celebrate Independence Day with their families,” Holland said. “The WCNB Building, The Fiske Theatre and the Parish Courthouse are the three most recognizable buildings in our town, bringing the clock back to her prime is just one more step along the way to our ultimate goal of bringing Downtown Oak Grove back to its rightful place as the Entertainment, Retail and Dining Hub of our region.”

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Governor Edwards Coming To Sweet Potato Fest!!!

Posted on March 19, 2013 by

 BATON ROUGE — Former four-time Governor Edwin Edwards and wife Trina will headline as Grand Marshals leading the Bruce Foods Sweet Potato Festival Parade at high noon, Saturday April 6, in Oak Grove, Louisiana.  Bruce Foods, an 85-year-old Louisiana company, is the largest buyer and processor of sweet potatoes in the Gulf South under the name “Bruce’s Yams,” sold worldwide. http://media.nola.com/tpphotos/photo/2012/01/10408199-large.jpg

Bruce Foods President Si Brown will serve as Co-Grand Marshal with Governor Edwards along with Oak Grove native and bestselling author Leo Honeycutt.

“Excited is not a strong enough word to describe our feelings,” West Carroll Chamber Special Events Coordinator Adam Holland said.  “I have known the Governor since I was a child and met him at the first LMA convention I went to during my dad’s (Jim Holland) first term on the city council.  No Governor since Huey P. Long has done as much for the state and especially north Louisiana farm families as did EWE during his four terms.  Having him and the head of the state’s largest sweet potato food company is truly an honor.”

The charismatic four-term Governor of Louisiana will also give one of his trademark speeches and sign books shortly after the parade.  He and President Si Brown will make brief remarks at the Downtown Courtyard, located between Jack’s Jewelry and the Drug Store.  Brown will address the future of Louisiana’s sweet potato industry.  This will mark the first time the 85-year-old former governor has lead a festival and parade in north Louisiana in 20 years.  Not only has Governor Edwards’ biography written by Honeycutt become the biggest bestseller in state history, Edwards and wife Trina are also the subject of a national reality show premiering this summer on the A&E Network.  The show called “The Governor’s Wife” tentatively has been scheduled to air immediately following cable sensation “Duck Dynasty.”  

“I am so excited to return to see my friends in West Carroll Parish,” says the former governor.  ”Of course, at 85 I’m excited to be anywhere.  And I’ve made it this long because I’ve been eating West Carroll sweet potatoes all my life, skin and all.  They’re that good.  They were a staple in the mansion.”  

“Louisiana’s sweet potatoes certainly are the best tasting in America,” adds Si Brown of Bruce Foods.  ”Louisiana has always led the entire sweet potato

industry.  With the world replacing white potatoes and fries with sweet potatoes, the sky’s the limit for Louisiana sweet potato farmers.”

“It’ll be great being back home,” says Honeycutt. “Without the friendships and education I had in West Carroll, I could not have had the opportunity to travel the world as a news broadcaster, to write books, cover every governor since Edwards’ first term and both presidents Reagan and Clinton.  But the first thing I think about when coming home to Oak Grove is baked, candied sweet potatoes.”

Edwards dominated Louisiana politics from 1972-1996 and synchronized Louisiana’s business and farm economies to the extent that, by the end of his second term, Louisiana was the most cash-rich state in the nation at nearly full employment.   Founded in 1928 in New Iberia, Louisiana, Bruce Foods Corporation is one of America’s largest privately-owned food manufacturers with more than 1,200 employees running four plants, two in Louisiana, one in Texas and one in North Carolina.  Bruce Foods produces 350 different all-natural products under nine premium brands sold in over 100 countries.

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AAA Safe Company Sweet Potato Cooking Contest Announced

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

What would a Sweet Potato Festival be without a Sweet Potato Cooking Contest?   AAA Safe Company of Oak Grove is presenting the Sweet Potato Cookery Contest on April 6, 2013 as part of the W.C. Chamber North Louisiana Sweet Potato Festival presented by Lamb Weston of Delhi.

“This is probably my favorite part of the festival,” Chamber President and owner of AAA Safe Company H. Doug Ainsworth said.  “I am glad I could be part of this portion of the event for the third year in a row, this is an event that gives people young and old alike a chance to participate and spend quality time together in the kitchen.”

The contest will feature five categories: Deserts, Casseroles, Bread, Commercial and Miscellaneous with $50 being awarded to the overall winner and $25 for first place and $15 for second in each individual category.  Ribbons will be given to each participant.

Each recipe must have at least one cup of sweet potatoes n the dish either fresh, frozen or canned, West Carroll sweet potatoes preferred. Your recipe must be typed or hand written neatly on an index card with your name on the back, dish must be brought in an ice chest on ice or cold packs and must be turned in no later than 10 am on Saturday April 6.

Registration will be at 10 am and awards will be presented shortly after the parade at the Downtown Courtyard.

To register for the event please contact Ruth Horton Mulkey at 318-428-7187 (Home), 318-805-1442 (Cell) or Jeanette Ables at 318-428-4808 (Home) 318-282-9976 (Cell) prior to March 30 so proper plans may be made for the event.

For more information on the festival please visit us on the web at westcarrollchamber.com.

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Fiske Awarded Tulane School of Architecture Dean’s Fund for Excellence Grant

Posted on March 2, 2013 by

!950's Fiske

NEW ORLEANS — The West Carroll Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Tulane School of Architecture are pleased to announce the Fiske Theatre in Oak Grove, La. has been awarded the Tulane School of Architecture Deans Fund for Excellence Grant to be used for historical research of small mid-century theatres in Louisiana.

“This is tremendous news for our theatre,” Adam Holland, President of Holland Entertainment who operates the Fiske Theatre for the West Carroll Chamber said. “Since we have been involved with the theatre it has been our goal to restore her reputation as one of the most respected theatres in the region.  By being awarded this grant to be case study for an institution as prestigious as Tulane, it shows we are being noticed across the state.”

Tulane’s project will include documentation and historical research of the Ultra-Moderne Art-Deco architecture of the late B.W. Stevens who designed the Fiske Theatre as well as the Joy on Canal Street in New Orleans.  This research will include reproducing the lost blueprints of the theatre as well as preparing documentation to assist in the submission for future listing on the National Register of Historic Places when the theatre becomes eligible in coming years.

“This project, just like most of our other projects came about via accident.” W.C. Chamber President H. Doug Ainsworth said. “I had Adam doing research through the Southeastern Architecture Archives, which are housed at Tulane, in hopes of finding a copy of our blueprints to begin the process of planning for future renovations to the lobby for handicapped restrooms and an expanded concession area.  Doing this he stumbled across Andrew Liles. After hearing our story and seeing pictures of the Fiske he was so impressed with what we as the chamber along with the people of Northeast Louisiana and the Holland Family have accomplished, he became excited about our theatre and wanted to get involved by applying for this grant which will allow for his students to study our theatre.”

Liles is a practicing architect, operating his own firm in New Orleans, and is Adjunct Faculty at Tulane School of Architecture.

Liles’s oversight of the project will be joined by the director of the School of Architecture’s Master of Preservation Studies program, Professor John H. Stubbs, a native of Monroe who has spent most of his career in international architectural conservation. Stubbs has also served as advisor to the State’s current initiative to nominate Poverty Point State Historic Site in Epps, La. to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

The student team will consist of a Master of Architecture candidate and two Master of Historic Preservation candidates, all of whom will measure the existing building, complete a stylistic analysis, compile historical documents, contextualize the significance of the Fiske in relation to other regional theatres and produce a publication-ready document.

“We are thrilled to be able to study and participate in the rebirth of such a great piece of American architecture,” Andrew Liles, Tulane School of Architecture said. “The Fiske, with its cutting edge design of its time, is a true example of mid-century Streamline Moderne Architecture, and we feel this study will be very beneficial to our students who will be participating in this effort.”

Through engagement with the Fiske Theatre and its Oak Grove community this Dean’s Fund project will highlight the value of small mid-century theatres in Louisiana as a case study that can be used as a tool to encourage similar preservation efforts throughout the region.   In this way, it is an opportunity for Tulane School of Architecture to serve the states northern parishes beyond Oak Grove as The Cave in Delhi and Joy in Rayville are two candidates for restoration or adaptive reuse that could benefit from a publication of the means and methods of the revitalized Fiske Theatre.

“Once again enough cannot be said about the chambers efforts to preserve this part of West Carroll’s history,” Honorary Fiske Theatre Chairman Ronald C. Fiske said. “Tulane choosing Dad’s theatre to study continues his visionary legacy of excellence, and on behalf of our family we thank Tulane and the Chamber for helping insure his investments continue to touch the lives of the people of Northeast Louisiana long after he has been gone.”

The Fiske Theatre is owned by the West Carroll Chamber of Commerce and operated by Holland Entertainment LLC of Oak Grove.  Funds from this project in no way will be used for general operation of the theatre.  For more information on the Tulane School of Architecture visit them at architecture.tulane.edu or on the Fiske Theatre visit fisketheatre.com or westcarrollchamber.com.

 

 

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Chamber Welcomes Two New Businesses To Oak Grove

Posted on February 28, 2013 by

Chamber welcomes Oak Grove Pawn Shop to town.

Chamber welcomes Oak Grove Pawn Shop to town.

Chamber wecomes Chopsticks Buffet to Oak Grove.

Chamber wecomes Chopsticks Buffet to Oak Grove.

OAK GROVE, La. — The West Carroll Chamber of Commerce along with community leaders and business people celebrated the opening of two new businesses in Oak Grove, La. the week of February 25-March 1.

“It is always exciting to welcome new businesses to our community,” W.C. Chamber President H. Doug Ainsworth said. “This week we had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate with two budding entrepreneurs and we wish them both the most success in their ventures.”

Tuesday welcoming the latest option to treat the pallets of the citizens of Northeast Louisiana to international Cuisine it welcomed Chopsticks Buffet, located in the Redmond Mitchners Building 100 East Main Street in Oak Grove.  Chopsticks is a full service Chinese Buffet.

Thursday, the Chamber welcomed Oak Grove Pawn Shop to the business community.  Oak Grove Pawn Shop is located at the site of the former C&W Pawn Shop in Oak Grove.

The West Carroll Chamber of Commerce is West Carroll’s premier support organization for businesses and community leaders in West Carroll Parish.  The Chamber Office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 am – Noon and you can keep up with what’s going on by visiting westcarrollchamber.com

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