jan final

A Publication of the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce January 2015

JanuaryJanuary 6

Groundbreaking for

Newk’s Eatery, 301 S. Vienna St.,

10 a.m.

January 8 Leadership

Lincoln

January 12North Central Louisiana Tea

Party6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sparta Aquifer

January 15 Grand Opening

& Ribbon Cutting for BullDawgs

(Goodwill Boutique),

Graham Shop-ping Center,

10 a.m.

January 22 Business After

Hours, LA Capitol FCU, 4-6 p.m.

January 28Louisiana Tech

Theatre: The Last Night of Ballyhoo

7:30 PM

January 29 Annual Awards Banquet, Civic Center, 6 p.m.

CHAMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Chamber Connection

Deliver to:Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce • 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270

Chamber & CVB Open HouseThank you, everyone who came by during the Chamber & CVB’s Open House. We truly enjoyed spending time with you and hope you enjoyed the beautiful decora-tions done by the Ruston Garden Club.

What a great time we had with 12 Days of Christmas Shopping in Lincoln Parish, our first #ShopRuston Christmas campaign, in partnership with the Ruston Daily Leader, Peach 99.3, Community Trust Bank and Ruston Lincoln CVB. We have heard from merchants and shoppers that they loved the idea. Hopefully it connected new customers to shops they haven’t been to before. Thank you to everyone who participated, players and sponsors!

Surprise Santa sponsors

Alexander's Acorn Antiques & Books, Bank of Ruston, Community Trust Bank, First National Bank,

Bryan Doxey was the $1,000 grand prize winner!Left to right, Travis Napper – CVB, Bryan & Teena Doxey, Ivana Flowers – Chamber. Other cash winner were, $100 - Danielle Gray, $100 - Michelle Chauvin, $100 - Elizabeth Moses Lewis, $50 - Olitsa Robbins

Hampton Inn, McKinney Honda, The Pewter Co., Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, Rosemary's Kitchen, Ruston's Locker Room, State Farm – Gregg Phillips, State Farm - Kim Dupree and Verizon Wireless.

Stocking Stuffer sponsors

The Avenue Christian Bookstore, Centric Federal Credit Union, Community Trust Bank, The Fabric Shop of Ruston, Outdoor Wilderness Learning Center (OWL), Princeton Place and Raising Canes.

12 Days of Shopping winner announced

Story Time with SantaWe had so much fun with our first Story Time with Santa at the Chamber/CVB office. Toddlers to 5 years old came in their pajamas, had milk & cookies, listened to Santa read stories, then they told him all about what they wanted for Christmas. We were delighted to meet some community members that we otherwise may not have met. We’re already looking forward to next year! Chamber & CVB staff with Ruston Garden Club ladies

Chamber UpdateBy Judy Copeland, President, Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

2 CHAMBER CONNECTION

Judy Copeland

Notes From The ChairRuston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce – By Mike Jones, Chairman

Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Staff

Judy Copeland, PresidentIvana Flowers, Communications & Special Events

Melissa Carpenter, Office Manager

Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau Staff

Travis Napper, Executive DirectorAmanda Quimby, Marketing Director

Deana Sherrill, Administrative AssistantDeadline for submitting newsletter information

is the 15th of the month.

Executive Chair & Finance, Mike Jones, Argent Financial

Chair Elect & Organizational Devt., Patrick Blanchard, OWL Center

Past Chair, Aaron Paul, BTG

Community Devt., Cathi Cox-Boniol, LP School District

Program Devt., Lee Denny, Bank of Ruston

Economic Devt., Doug Postel, LA Delta Comm. College

Board of Directors

Here’s to a happy 2015!

It is with both excitement and gratitude that I look forward to serving as the Chairman of the Lincoln-Parish Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2015.

To begin the year, I would like to share with you four core objectives for 2015 that the chamber staff and I have established for continuing their efforts to ensure our chamber’s positive value to the parish’s business community.

First, the chamber will be a visible advocate for business. We have three excellent

employees who never hesitate to get out and about in the community to help advocate for its members. We also have an engaging group of board members who will bring much energy and leadership to our chamber in 2015. Next month I will introduce the 2015 board of directors to

you. Second, we will also be an

effective facilitator of business in 2015. We exist to serve our members and our community, and we are determined to dedicate resources to facilitate a healthy, vibrant business community.

Third, we also desire to be a trusted resource for our members. Over the course of this year we will work hard to educate our members as to the benefits that being a member can bring. Our members can lean on us for information, marketing, and as a resource to educate the public as to their own businesses.

Lastly, the chamber will strive to be an active promoter of business at large in Lincoln Parish and throughout North Louisiana. Through programs like the 12 Days of Christmas and Small Business Saturday we hope to remain a proactive force in promoting the businesses of our peers.

Thank you for this opportunity to serve. I am looking forward to a wonderful year.

The Chamber’s positive values

Mike Jones

Ex-Officio Members

Les Guice, LA Tech Univ.Courtney Hall, LP Police JuryRonny Walker, Ruston Mayor

Kristi Lumpkin, Ruston Econ. Devt.Gregg Phillips, State Farm

John Rosenthall, Grambling State Univ.Ranaee Thomas-Walley, RL Crime Stoppers

Sheila Bordelon, LP Tax AssessorNeal Carter, Community Trust Bank

Heath Hattaway, Law Office of Rick GallotTravis Lee, Chartreuse Pear

Rodney Manning, The Ensure GroupRandy Null, Ruston Artisans

Donna Ott, Hunt, Guillot & AssociatesSharon Shrell, FNB

Brandon Sutherland, Hampton InnErica Wheelis, Centric FCU

Happy 2015! As I reflect back on what I had hoped to accomplish last year, I see many successes and some things not as successful. We had a wonderful Peach Festival with an increase in attendance, our Lighten Up Lincoln Community Health Expo saw an increase as well, we hosted a political meet and greet, a mayoral debate, we held our first 12 Days of Christmas Shopping that brought a lot of foot traffic to our local stores, and we had a

successful story time with Santa at our office. Our social media marketing has seen phenomenal growth and reach, and we continue to build strong relationships with City and Parish administrators, our Educational Institutions, and most importantly, the citizens of our community.

I didn’t get out and visit as many of our members as I would have liked. This year our staff, ambassadors, and Board members plan to make more member visits. We had to pull the plug on our Business Buffet Lunch and

Learn. Those of us who attended, learned a lot and

are extremely grateful for all of our members who helped teach these sessions. We just never saw an increase in attendance, so it didn’t make any sense to continue. We will look for other workshops to help continue educating members and employees on important business topics.

For 2015, we are looking to grow our ambassador program. If you are interested in being more involved in the Chamber, please consider becoming an ambassador. We have quarterly meetings and we will recognize our outstanding ambassador of the year with a trip for two to New Orleans. Please make plans to attend our annual Chamber

Banquet on January 29th, where we will honor many of our exemplary citizens for their contributions to Lincoln Parish. This includes Ruston Kiwanis’ “ Firefighter, Law Enforcement, and Educators of the Year,” awards, Lincoln Parish School District’s “Distinguished Partners in Education” awards, Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “Hospitality” award, Junior Auxiliary of Ruston’s “Betty Robbins Volunteer of the Year” award, Ruston Rotary Club’s “Bill Best Humanitarian” award, and Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce’s “Robert E. Russ” award. I look forward to seeing you there!

Open Monday – Saturday, 9am – 7pm1305 Commerce Street, Ruston

gibsonsnatural.com318-255-3834

IN RUSTON

NOW

OPEN



IN RUSTON

NOW

OPEN Open Monday – Saturday, 9am – 7pm1305 Commerce Street, Ruston


IN RUSTON

NOW

OPEN



IN RUSTON

NOW

OPEN

Mike Jones

Executive Board

CHAMBER CONNECTION 3

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Robert E. Russ Award Nominations being sought

The Robert E. Russ Award

is one of the most prestigious civic honors that can be obtained by a citizen of Lincoln Parish. This award, first given in 1984, is designed to recognize those who have contributed to the civic, business or cultural advancement or development of this region in an outstanding manner during the preceding year.

The following guidelines are strictly adhered to in selection for the award:

1 The nominee must have been a citizen of Lincoln Parish since Jan. 1, 2013;

2 An individual can be nominated in multiple and successive years, but can only be honored by the award one time.

3 It is not required that the Russ Award be given every year.

4 It is the selection committee’s responsibility to critique and consider nominations and select a recipient based on the nominee’s personal contributions toward the civic, business or cultural advancement or development of this region in an outstanding manner during the preceding year.

The nomination form can be downloaded from www.rustonlincoln.org or can be picked up at the Chamber office, 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston.

Business Spotlight

Rosemary Thomas and Sara Corley are the creative cooks behind the amazing dishes of Rosemary's Kitchen. Combining old family recipes with new world flavors, Rosemary and Sara have created a unique style of their own. Using only the freshest ingredients, Rosemary's Kitchen has redefined some of your favorite recipes. Let the cooks of Rosemary's Kitchen remind you what homemade tastes like!

Simple. Fresh. Good. You’ll always find

something on RK’s menu to entice you whether it be Crawfish Corn Chowder, Spinach & Mushroom Quiche, Bourbon Street Chicken, Sweet Potato & Jalapeno Bisque, or Lemon Ice Box Pie. It’s hard telling what delicious idea they’ll come up with. Beef, Honey, Milk & Butter served at Rosemary’s Kitchen come from local vendors.

Open daily for lunch 11-1:30 p.m. Daily specials are listed on

Meet the cooks of Rosemary’s kitchen

Rosemary Thomas and Sara Corley

their Facebook page. Gift shop is open 10-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

In addition to lunch, you can also pick up ready-made casseroles, sides, salads, bread and dessert to eat at home. And though Rosemary’s Kitchen is not a full service caterer, they do make special orders. Give them a call.

RK also has a Loyalty Program. They want you to know you’re appreciated. You earn 1 point for every $1 spent. 70 points can be redeemed for a $7 reward. Sign up online to receive a 25 point bonus. Mention this article and receive 10 extra points!

400 S Bonner St.Ruston, [email protected]://simplefreshgood. blogspot.com/http://rosemarys-kitchen. com/

2000 Farmerville Hwy. Ruston, LA 71270 www.genesisenergy.com•


The Chamber Connection (023/623) is published monthly for $12 a year by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270. Application to mail at Periodicals postage rates paid at Ruston, LA and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Chamber Connection, 2111 North Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270-4420. All contents copyright and may not be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

Printed by Ruston Newspapers, Inc.

Training that makes Sense!318/254-7993www.traininglogic.net

[email protected]

Exceeds all customers Expections Every time•

• Strategic Planning • Safety • Sales• Team Building • Customer Service• Leadership & Mgmt Development• Succession Development • Coaching• Communications

Ribbon CuttingsRibbon Cuttings & Ground Breakings. Find photo albums for all Chamber events on Facebook.com/RustonChamber

Southern Lace Boutique“Where earthiness and elegance meet” now has a location in Ruston. The

shop is located in Commons Court on Farmerville Hwy.

Merle NormanMerle Norman Ruston is a beautiful shop with new owners and a new

location. Still located in the Celebrity Drive shopping center, now behind Wingstop.

Firehouse Soulfood & Grillin’Stop by for a great lunch and say hi to these fine folks!

Firehouse Soulfood & Grillin’ 202 West Louisiana St., Ruston

(318) 202-3877

Malone PolarisA long time dream of the Malone’s is coming true. A ground breaking ceremony was held to celebrate the soon to be new location of Malone Polaris. The new location is on Celebrity Drive between Farmerville

Highway and Commerce Street. For now, stop by the current location, 1680 East Kentucky Avenue. (318) 251-1399.

Expected opening date of the new location is March, 2015.

Stop in and say hello~Gloria & David Haynie - owners

Cindy Morris and Sydni Wilt - Staff

722 Celebrity Dr.(318) 232-6000

Ben and Kellie Malone - OwnersStacey Quarles - Service ManagerSteve Wilson - Parts ManagerTiffany Ritchie - Admin. Asst.Brian McClure - Admin. Asst.Ramond Mathis - Sales

Alan Pullin, Casey Quarles, & Jim Irby - Service Logan Waggoner & Cullen Johnston - Setup and Assembly Morgan Kavanaugh - Part Time

2314 Commons Court, Unit 1(318) 255-LACEAlso find them on Facebook and Instagram.

Terry Baker - OwnerAshley Silmon - ManagerBaileigh Wilson, Mercedes Jordan, Linda White and Milan Whitherinton - Sales Clerks

L to R: Robyn Brown,Velissa Rollins & Charlette Favors

HeritageRealty Group, LLC

Make A Move.Make A Difference.

1229 Farmerville Hwy318.251.8282

How isHeritage Realty Group,

LLC Different?1. Professional photography for all listings2. Give back program that invests in our community with every sale3. Online marketing4. Team approach5. Automatic email program that

will ensure that you are the first to know about a property when it hits the market.

heritagerealtyruston.comRobyn Brown, Broker


2 5 5 – 1 1 1 1R U S T O N L I N C O L N

C R I M ES T O P P E R S

Rewards up to $2,000•

LICENSE PLATES • RENEWALS • TITLE WORK

Public Tag Agent

1406 Farmerville Hwy Suite 3 Ruston, LA 71270Phone: 318-202-5861 Fax: 318-651-7689 M-F 8:30-4:30

Business After Hours

Tech Support

.

The Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet is set for Thursday, January 29, 2015 at the Ruston Civic Center, sponsored by Community Trust Bank and Hunt, Guillot & Associates. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a wine-and-cheese social, followed at 6:45 by dinner. Once again, the talented and witty Doug Postel will emcee.

Tickets are $35 each for Chamber members and $40 each for non-members. Reserved tables of six are available for $250 for members and $275 for non-members. Reserved sponsored tables of six are $500. Tickets are available at the Chamber office, located at 2111 North Trenton St., or online at www.rustonlincoln.org.

Highlights of the banquet will include presentations of the 2014 Robert E. Russ Award and the 2014 Ruston Rotary Club Bill Best Humanitarian Award. The two awards are among the highest civic honors that can be obtained by a Lincoln Parish resident.

Also on tap during the event are presentations of the Lincoln Parish School system’s Distinguished Partners in Education awards, the

Ruston Kiwanis’ Outstanding People awards, JA’s Betty Robbins Volunteer of the Year award, and the Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau Hospitality awards.

The banquet marks the official beginning of the Chamber’s 2015 work year, as well as the start of new terms for five new board members.

~ 3rd Annual Table Decorating Contest ~There’s a new and fun way for businesses

to market themselves at the Banquet. For $50, a business can decorate a table for the event. (A business must be attending the event to participate.)

Table decorations can be no more than 20 inches high and cannot overlap onto the place settings. Use of glitter is not allowed. Decorations should be fun, creative, and tasteful.

Prizes will be given in the several categories. Decorations can be set up beginning at 1

p.m. on Banquet day. Judging will begin at 4 p.m. Deadline to enter the table decorating contest is January 15. For more details email Ivana at [email protected].

ChamberMaster Have you realized yet that the Chamber’s database is loaded with perks that translate into free advertising? Each time you submit an Event, Job Opening, News Release or Hot Deal, not only is it view-able to anyone who vis-its rustonlincoln.org, it also post on Facebook.com/RustonChamber and Twitter.com/Ruston-Chamber. With over 900 Likes on Facebook and over 800 followers on Twitter, that’s a pretty big reach. Add to that, since we’ve launched our new website and

link to what you put in the database, well, you can see the num-bers above.

So what are you waiting for? Let a few minutes of data enter-ing put the spotlight

on you! If you do not have log-in information, call Melissa or Ivana, 255-2031.

December Business After HoursDecember was perfect timing to visit the

beautifully renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites. We had a great time, complete with tours, door prizes and gumbo by Kitt Lee. Stop by to say hello and check out their banquet & board rooms for your next meeting or event.

Steve French - General ManagerJustin Gwin - Asst. Manager

Tom & Mary Kilpatrick and Claire K. Givens – Owners

Chamber Annual BanquetRuston Civic Center • Jan. 29, 2015

Hunt, Guillot & AssociatesRuston, Louisiana•

A Pause at the Podium

Cathi Cox-Boniol

By Cathi Cox-Boniol, Lincoln Achieve Coordinator


•

I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning just thinking about the fact that we’re now in the second half of this decade. Where has the time gone? Just the thought of that fills me with a sense of urgency concerning how time is being spent right now. I’ve almost become compulsive about using my time wisely and maximizing every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Because I know that if I don’t make good use of my time right now, I will most likely find myself regretting it long before we get to the second half of the next decade.

As we begin this year, we find ourselves at a time filled with remarkable possibilities. We have new leadership in many areas of our community, state, and nation. And there will be more appearing on the horizon as we move through this year. So I believe this is a time when it is critical that people band together more than ever, working collaboratively for the common good. It’s time to get personal agendas out of the way, break down barriers, dissolve misconceptions, and get a good look at the big picture and how it is going to impact us individually and collectively in the very near future. Yes, the time is now.

Okay, so the time is now but what exactly is it time for? I’d like to defer to someone who I listened to intently during a program I watched over the holidays. I found her story fascinating but also full of good advice for all of us.

Condoleezza Rice, an American political scientist and diplomat, served as both National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. The second African-American and the second female to ever hold the latter title, she broke racial and gender barriers, becoming the first female African-American Secretary of State. Her journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Yet as she tells it, circumstances were stacked against her from the beginning.

Born in 1954, Rice came from the most segregated city in America—Birmingham, Alabama. A frightening and dangerous place, she was in an area filled with violence due to the racial lines that were being drawn during the Civil Rights movement. However, she shares readily that she came from a group of people who were determined to prove themselves despite of

their circumstances. Children were prepared to be truly excellent, and there were extremely high expectations; there were no excuses for poor performance even if you might have to be twice as good as others. Rice states that while you may not be able to control your circumstances, you control how you react to them—you work hard and do things better. She was taught to spot when

somebody is underestimating you and then meet that challenge head on.

WOW! Isn’t that exactly what we all should be internalizing? And especially when we are surrounded with the never-ending barrage of challenges that the world continues to throw at us? Shouldn’t we be more resolved to model that type of behavior so that our young people understand that while circumstances may seem unsurmountable, we have the opportunity to control how we react to them? And even if somebody

is underestimating us, we can meet that challenge head on and through hard work have some control over the path we take?

Rice makes the critical point that in our world today, we all seem more different than ever. Even if on the surface we may seem alike, underneath we’re all very different. But she also reminds us that this is part of the wonder of the world, acknowledging that while we may never be “race blind,” we should no longer have preconceptions about who somebody is or what they might do because they might look a certain way. And it’s certainly time for that.

So what does this mean for us in Lincoln Parish? I believe it points to the fact that right now is the time that we quit making excuses, quit sticking our head in the sand, quit pointing fingers, quit washing our hands of it all . . . just quit ignoring the fact that if we are going to raise expectations across the community and truly attain the type of excellence we all say we want, then we’ve got to become more like-minded and therefore willing to do what it takes to bridge the race-gender- socioeconomic gaps that exist. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, then that’s part of the problem. You don’t know this community at all.

Rice hits the nail on the head when she states that she will welcome your opinions

but not your uninformed ones. Every one of us needs to be as informed as possible about the factors that must be addressed if we are to have a world-class community right here in Lincoln Parish. We talk constantly about our work toward creating a world-class education system and what it takes. And whether you are an educator or not, you must be a part of that process. That means doing your homework, knowing that you might not always have all the information you may want or need. But be as well-equipped as possible so that you can make the best decisions. Rice notes that it’s hard to make complex decisions when you don’t have all the information. And I would add the need for accurate information. How else can you make well-informed decisions and therefore help affect change?

As she reflected on her time in Washington DC, Rice noted the belief that we will eventually harvest good decisions that are made now. But she reminds us that the wonderful outcomes we hope for won’t be realized immediately. Instead, the fruit will be harvested many days, weeks, months, and years from now and should be seen as part of greater success throughout this nation and world.

I believe that to be true for our community. That’s why I’m so hopeful about where we are now. There seems to be momentum growing around the idea that we can work collaboratively for the collective good. If it’s not something you’ve considered, then I urge you to consider now as the time for you to make a move in that direction.

I believe Condoleezza Rice is ‘right on the money’ when she says that we must provide children with a sense that there’s nothing they can’t do and that we equip them with a vision of limitless horizons. But I also agree when she says that preparation counts and you have to work hard. And that it also matters who you meet and where you are and how you take advantage of the opportunities that come along.

Isn’t the same true for us all? Could there be a better way for our young people to internalize that message than to see us modeling it for them day after day? I think not. Now is the time we come together to make that part of the expectation of excellence for which we are striving. After all, you never master your life, but you can master the challenges along the way. And what could be a better goal for 2015 than to make it the time for a community to begin that very process.

Mastering the Challenge


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Business After Hours

•

NEW MEMBERS

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Tom & Mary Kilpatrick and Claire K. Givens - OwnersSteve French - General ManagerJustin Gwin - Asst. ManagerMabel Warren - HostessRegina Tullous - Executive HousekeeperLaBradford Scroggins - Front DeskMary Schapatone - HousekeeperDamian Thomas - Chief Engineer 1707 Roberta Ave., Ruston(318) 251-9800http://www.marriott.com/mlufs

Business After Hours hosted by Fairfield Inn & Suites

We had a lovely time at the beautifully renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites. Complete with tours, door prizes and gumbo by Kitt Lee! Stop by, say hello and check out their meeting and event spaces.

Firehouse Soulfood & Grillin’ 202 West Louisiana Ave. Ruston, LA 71270 https://www.facebook.com/firehouse.soulfood (318) 202-3877

Gibson’s Natural Grocer 1305 Commerce St. Ruston LA 71270 http://www.gibsonsnatural.com (318) 255-3834

January Business After Hours will be hosted by LA Capitol Federal Credit Union. They have expanded and remodeled and would like for us all to come by and take a tour, have refreshments and meet the staff. Please note that the time is 4-6 p.m. There will be a rib-bon cutting ceremony at 4:30.

LA Cap Federal Credit Union975 Tech Dr., Rustonwww.lacapfcu.org

Business After HoursThursday, January 22

4-6 p.m.


•

Touring Lincoln ParishRuston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau – By Travis Napper and Amanda Quimby

Amanda Quimby

Member Anniversaries

The citizens, public officials and business leaders of Lincoln Parish are on a mission. That mission is to dramatically improve the appearance of the Lincoln Parish area and change the culture in regard to litter and lack of concern for the community’s visual appeal. With the combined efforts of Tommy Smith, President of Cheeks AirWorx, spearheading the Extraordinary Lincoln initiative and each community member doing their part, we can create a heightened sense of pride in the appearance of our area while also capitalizing on our highly visible location along the interstate and major highways.

The vision for Extraordinary Lincoln is to have all streets, highways, commercial and residential property in Lincoln Parish maintained in a neat, and litter-free condition. Imagine your city with roads and streets litter-free with the grass mowed at all times; businesses with well-manicured lawns and clean parking

areas; residents with maintained properties. This environment is not only an encouragement to community members and the many university students of Lincoln Parish, but it’s also welcoming to travelers, meeting planners and potential employers looking to do business in our area.

There are thousands of people traveling on Interstate 20 every day, plus many more on Highways 167 and 33. As business owners, residents, and community members, we must remain aware of the visual perception of Ruston and Lincoln Parish to ensure I-20 travelers will stop here for lunch, shopping, restrooms, or even just to fill up their gas tanks.

“While almost any stop off the interstate will lead to money being spent, it is the long term

benefits of an enhanced perception that can lead to not just economic improvements, but an increase in the quality of life for our existing residents,” says Travis Napper, President/CEO of the Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau.

We strongly encourage leaders in churches, schools, universities, businesses, media, homeowner associations and other civic organizations to help craft the future of this project and best address areas of improvement. For more information and to learn how you can get involved call the Ruston Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau at (318) 255-2031 or visit

Extraordinary Lincoln’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/extraordinarylincoln.

“We’re not going to get there tomorrow, but we will start today.” – Tommy Smith

Making Lincoln Parish Extraordinary

Happy 75th Anniversary! Dixie Center for the ArtsFirst National BankHunt Forest Lumber, Inc.Lewis BoutiquePearce Lumber & HardwareRuston Brick, LLCRuston Daily LeaderT.L. James & Co., Inc.

20 Years +Blue Bell Creameries, LPRainwater, B.H.

10 Years +Wells Fargo Advisors, LLCAcme Glass & Mirror Acres & Avenues Realty, Inc.Albritton Service Company, LLCAmerican AVL Aramark at LA TechArgent Financial Group, Inc.Backus True Value HardwareBaldwin’s JewelersBancorpSouth Belue Family Clinic Business Technology Group, LLC (BTG)Captain D’s Restaurant Cedar Creek SchoolCenterPoint EnergyCentury 21 J.E. Barnes Century Ready Mix Chemical Dynamics Chironetwork Chiropractic ClinicChurch’s ChickenCoburn’s SupplyComfort Inn Community Trust Bank Law Offices of Michael S. CoyleGenesis Energy William S. Carter, Jr., P.C.

Days InnDriggers & Blackwell Enterprises, Inc. Crow Burlingame, Inc. Edward Jones - Randy Fallin Financial Advisor Ewing Timber, LLCFranke Consumer Products, Inc. First Baptist ChurchFrosty Factory of America, Inc. Fuqua Companies, LLC Gilbert Realty Radian Hennigan, CPA Hi-Tech Computers of Ruston, Inc.Acadian Wood Products Courtesy Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac of RustonHunt, Guillot & AssociatesiBERIABANK - Ruston Main OfficeJohnston Dental Care Ken’s Coffee Service Kilpatrick Funeral Homes KXKZ/ESPN 97.7/KPCH 99.3/ KRUS 1490LA Capitol Federal Credit UnionLouisiana Tech Division of University AdvancementLifeshare Blood Centers The Lincoln Agency Amethyst Construction Northern Louisiana Medical Center Lincoln Outpatient Therapy ServicesRuston Aviation, Inc. Whittington Architects LA Center For The BlindLouisiana Insurance Services, Inc.Louisiana Methodist Childrens HomeDr. Wesley O. Lynch III Mabry Company, LLC Manpower Temporary Services Mary Kay Cosmetics - Ruby GarnerMason Forest Products, Inc.McDonald’s Main OfficeMerrill Lynch Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix & Hixson, LLC Peregrine Corp. Mitcham Farms, Inc.Napper, Madden & Rogers

National Jewelry Company, Inc. Nora’s Flowers O’Nealgas, Inc. O’Neal’s Farm & GardenOral Surgery Associates P & L Management Company dba Paramount Healthcare Pack & Mail Peach Tree DentalPeople Centered Support ServicesRedd Pest Control of Ruston, Inc.Riley Company of LA, Inc.Ronnie Ward Automotive Group, Inc.Ruston Brick, LLCRuston Chevron Jim Taylor Ford Lincoln Ruston Glass & Mirror Ruston Rotary Club - NoonArdagh Glass, Inc.Secur-It Self Storage Sherwin WilliamsSoil Stabilizers Squire Creek Country Club & DevelopmentState Farm Insurance - Skip Russell State Farm Insurance - Kim Dupree Sterling Pharmacy Stor-A-Way Mini Storage Tyler Graham Storms Patrick Stuckey, D.D.S. Super 8 Motel Super One Foods T.L. James & Co., Inc. The Cleaners of Ruston The Fashion of Ruston The News-Star Russ Place

Today’s Realty, Inc. Tommy’s Tees Trinity United Methodist ChurchUnited Way of Northeast LouisianaVision Center WalMart Supercenter Michael L. Walpole, Architect, LLC Warren Frazier Construction Company Wendy’s Westside Self Storage State Farm Insurance - Robert Temple Hunt Forest Products, Inc. Pafford Emergency Medical Services, Inc.Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites

5 Years +Lincoln Realty, Inc. Shelter Insurance - Dan Preaus North Central LA Arts Council (NCLAC)Konica Minolta Business SolutionsAvenue Christian BookstoreThe Bridge Community Church Downtown Tech CampusWaggoner Engineering, Inc.Walgreens Vantage Health Plan, Inc.

OtherRAW Sushi, LLC Meaux’s Plumbing, LLC

Sharon Jackson’s Slammin’ Women’s Fitness RevolutionFood Bank of Northeast Louisiana South Parkway ChurchBiotech South, LLC Twin Creeks Realty Restoration Plus, LLCDiabetes Care CenterA Team Property Management, LLC Park Avenue Antiques Roma Italian Bistro Lagniappe Embroidery & Gift Shoppe Quilteroo’s Regional Consulting Services, Inc.Lincoln Health FoundationAJ Burns Appraisals MCS Innesto MarketingElite Healthcare Alliance24/7 Coin Laundry Brennan Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep & Ram Tommy’s Feed Store & More Prime Rocketfast Car WashThe Ensure Agency Campatori Catering, LLCLaw Office of Richard J. Gallot, Jr.Morrison CompaniesKelly Moore Bag M.L. Smith, Jr., LLCBarnes & Noble @ Louisiana TechHunter Energy Corp.Harold Shepherd A Team Realty, LLC Tax Max

4 Paws Rescue, Inc. Yeager, Watson & Assoc., Inc.St. Thomas Aquinas ChurchPalmetto Addiction Recovery CenterJames L. Davis ConstructionBlueLine Rental - West Monroe, LAPennington Financial, LLCRustiques Architectural Antiques STC, LLCRagan BuildersHill OilKona Ice Valic - Dan McGuire, Financial AdvisorSerenity Springs Specialty HospitalLincoln Parish School DistrictNew Tech @ Ruston Lincoln Parish Tax Assessor Sheila Bordelon Bullet Designs, Inc. M & M Printing Senator Mike WalsworthNadel & Gussman Ruston, LLCG & C ConstructionGoldman Equipment, LLCJLH Construction Company, Inc.DeWitt French Giger & Sitton, LLPCharlie’s Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Thornburg MonumentsBebo & Company Puppies & Grooming Keg Package and Cork RoomMed-Camps of LouisianaNew Beginnings Wellness Center & SpaLeslie Lakes Retirement Center

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