Monroe County's Alabama River Pulp Mill is celebrating its 25th
anniversary in November. Parsons & Whittemore Chairman and CEO
George F. Landegger will be presiding over the Monroeville Christmas
Parade as Grand Marshal in celebration of the mill's 25th year in
Monroe County. An Open House is planned at the Alabama River Mills
Complex on Thursday, November 20th, from 2-4 p.m. Public Relations
Director Peggy H. Jaye encourages the public to come out for this
celebratory event. ARP is also constructing a special float for the
2003 Christmas Parade in celebration of its Silver Anniversary.
Other businesses celebrating these milestones are encouraged to
enter floats also. The Alabama River Companies have contributed
significantly to the quality of life in Monroe County, and south
Alabama. In recognition of this special anniversary, the Chamber of
Commerce is asking its retail members to offer special Silver
Shopping Day Bargains for ARP's employees November 17th - 24th, to
coincide with the Open House and Anniversary. The Chamber of
Commerce is working with The Monroe Journal's Michael Lambeth on
this special promotion. Please contact the Chamber or Lambeth to
participate.
Congratulations to Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Member
Patrick Harrigan and wife, Michelle, on the birth of their daughter,
Virginia Ann! Welcome Home to All!
Kudos to K.T. Owens and the Monroeville Garden Club for all the
beautification around the downtown square! If you have seen K.T. in
the traffic islands, you know this does not happen overnight!
Likewise, to Dawn Crook, the Monroeville Kiwanis Club, and the
Monroe County Commission for all the improvements at the Monroe
County Coliseum. It has never looked better!
Anyone who missed the Perdue Hill-Claiborne Tour of Homes on October
4th, sponsored by The Perdue Hill Claiborne Foundation and the
Monroe County Heritage Museums, missed a great day in the life of
Monroe County. Congratulations to Agee S. Broughton and Kathy McCoy
and their army of volunteers on a spectacular event! Please do this
again soon!
Reported by Michael Koile, Marketing Manager, Alabama Gulf Coast
Railroad: To all customers and future customers, AGR has begun
operating the BNSF line from Mobile, AL to Amory, Mississippi. AGR
will have pricing authority on any movements in which BNSF is not
involved in the routing. Interchanges which will be available are:
Amory, MS: BNSF: Columbus, MS: KCS, CAGY, & GTRA: Boligee,
Demopolis, Kimbrough, Mobile, AL: NS: Linden Hybart, Mobile, AL,
Cantonment, FL: CSXT; Mobile, AL: CN & KCS. For further information,
please contact Michael Koile at (251) 575-5008.
Reported from the Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel: The
Monroeville Area Chamber of Commerce and Monroe County Tourism Board
jointly hosted two British travel writers in Monroe County in March
and May 2003. According to a letter from Grey Brennan, U.S. and
International Marketing Manager, "All that hard work on UK PR is
continuing to pay off." Two stories in the UK press by these travel
writers recently featured Monroeville:
The first is from Paul Mansfield, which appeared in the Saturday
Telegraph on August 30, 2003: Circulation: 1,000,499: Readership:
3,028,497; Ad Value: $113.850 (no multiplier used).
The second is from Martin Symington, which appeared in The Times on
August 23rd: Circulation 712,986: Readership: 2,138,958: Ad Value:
$43,668 (no multiplier used).
Ultimate credit on these stories goes to Kathy McCoy and the Monroe
County Heritage Museums for development of noteworthy museums and
tourism sites in the county. The Alabama Bureau of Tourism and
Travel has been a great partner in directing travel writers to the
Monroe County area. The Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Board
continue to support the Alabama Marketplace for Travel Journalists
as a means of getting these visitors to the state.
Local business owners Jim and Kathy Rowell are bullish on
Monroeville's economy, and physical evidence of this is the new
4,600 square foot building they are constructing in downtown
Monroeville, just east of Monroeville Water Works building. Their
new facility will cover three areas of emphasis: one side will be
hunting accessories, while the other will house wedding rentals,
party supplies, and florals. Rental equipment will be accessible
from the back of the building for customer convenience. Look for the Rowells to be in their new facility by November 1st.
City Cleaners Owner Scott Holmes has opened a new store in Evergreen
to serve the Conecuh County market. His brother, Jason Holmes, is
operating J's at 3229 South Alabama Avenue. J's makes a mean funnel
cake! Melvin Foukal has launched another new business venture,
Cherry Street Bar-B-Q. He is open on select days for pick-up orders,
and also does catering. Montez Oudenaarden is relocating My Favorite
Things from its current location on Drewry Road behind Applause
Dance Studio to the yellow house on Highway 21 just south of the
Sears parking lot. Sears owner J. D. Kelley is having growing pains
and will be relocating his store to the larger building in the same
shopping center where Family Dollar was located.
Health Actions has moved from their offices in Monroe County
Hospital to the old Plaza Pharmacy building at the junction of Drewry Road and South Alabama Avenue. They will operate in this
location until their new office across from Monroe County Hospital
is ready.
Welcome, Newcomers!
Welcome to Sam and Debbie Covert, who have moved from Daphne to
Monroeville. Sam is the new Mobile Area Manager for Alabama Power
Company. He and wife Debbie have twin daughters at Auburn
University, and another working in nursing in Nashville. Welcome to
Dr. David Stallworth, wife Spence, and children Beeland, Fields,
Emily Prather and Alice Lawson who have moved from Birmingham to
Monroeville. Dr. Stallworth is a General Surgeon practicing at
Monroe County Hospital. Also on the medical front, welcome to Dr.
Vereen Farrar, now practicing at Monroeville Medical Clinic. Dr.
Farrar is a graduate of Monroe Academy, and the University of South
Alabama School of Medicine. Welcome to Dr. Pamela Gibbs, husband Bob
and daughter. Welcome back, Matt Moorer, wife Krista, and daughter
Anna Kate. Matt is the Manager for Monroe County Hospital Physical
Therapy Department. Welcome to the Rev. Rob Nichols, wife Diana, and
daughters Kate and Bess who have moved from Mobile to Monroeville
with St. John's Episcopal Church. Welcome to the Rev. Gary Miller
and family, recently moved from Andalusia with First Baptist Church
of Monroeville.
We join Alabama Southern Community College in welcoming to
Monroeville Jim Hilgartner, Director for the Center of Literary Arts
at Alabama Southern. Welcome to Dr. Donna Estill and husband Rob.
Donna is the Assistant Director for the Center for the Literary
Arts. Welcome also to Dr. Kandis Steele, the Vice President for
Learning/Academic Affairs at Alabama Southern. All moved from the
Tuscaloosa area to Monroe County. Welcome also to Mary Sawyer,
English instructor at Alabama Southern, recently moved from
Virginia. Welcome back to Amy Hamiter, Project Specialist at Alabama
Southern. Amy recently received her master's degree from Troy State
University.
Welcome to Becki Osmer, Instructional Design Associate with Alabama
Southern Community College, and husband Corey, a fabric/finishing
specialist with Vanity Fair Intimates, recently relocated to
Monroeville from upstate New York.
