December 2013 Newsletter

December 2013
Newsletter
Chamber Calendar
Saturday | December 14
• Bicentennial Celebration
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Courthouse in DeWitt
Monday | December 16
• Duck Calling Committee
12 noon
Chamber office
Tuesday | December 17
• Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
1:00 p.m.
Ag-Pro Companies
Friday | December 20
• Chamber Board Meeting
11:30 a.m.
Chamber office
Friday | January 17
• Chamber Board Meeting
11:30 a.m.
Chamber office
Thursday | January 30
• Arkansas Rice Meeting
9:00 a.m.
Grand Prairie Center
January 30 | January 31
• AFEA Conference
All Day
North Little Rock
Contact Us
Chamber of Commerce
507 S. Main | P.O. Box 1500
Stuttgart, AR 72160
(870) 673-1602
Stephen Bell
Executive Vice President
stuttgartchamber@centurytel.net
Bethany Hodges
Director of Programs
programdirector@centurytel.net
Big crowds turn out for annual festival
n Pleasant cool weather and
no rain helped bring out big
crowds for the 78th annual
World’s Championship Duck
Calling Contest & Wings Over
the Prairie Festival in Stuttgart.
“Weather is always important, and while it was a little
cold at night at the start of the
festival, by the final weekend
it was perfect,” said Festival
Chairman Bill Free.
Among the new events helping increase participation was
the addition of a 5K to the Great
Duck Race.
The race still included the
longer 10K. Among the runners
in the 5K was festival chairman
Free.
Brad Allen of Judsonia,
Arkansas, won his third World’s
Championship Duck Calling
Contest, beating out 70 other
contestants from 38 states,
Canada and New Zealand.
WORLD CHAMPION — 2013 World Champion Duck Caller Brad
Allen of Judsonia, Arkansas, with Queen Mallard Hannah Oliver.
Santa among those at Christmas Parade
n A little winter weather
didn’t slow the 57th annual
Stuttgart Christmas Parade
sponsored by the Stuttgart
Chamber of Commerce.
The parade included more
entries this year and a total of 17
floats, according the Christmas
Parade Chairman Katie Isom.
“It was great to see people
lining the parade route despite
the chilly weather,” she said.
“Of course, it helped that Santa
Claus was able to make the parade again this year.”
The DeWitt High School band
also performed in the parade
this year for the first time in
several years, along with the
Stuttgart High School Ricebirds
band.
CHRISTMAS WISHES — Santa Claus listens to Rhiley Wiggins
before the start of the Stuttgart Christmas Parade.
CARTI opens hematology/oncology center in Stuttgart
n A ribbon cutting was held
for the new CARTI hematology/
oncology center in Stuttgart.
Making a return to the Stuttgart medical community is
CARTI hematologist/oncologist
Brad P. Baltz, M.D.
The new center is located at
1505 North Medical Drive near
Baptist Health Medical Center.
CARTI is an independent,
nonprofit network of cancer
care facilities with locations
throughout Arkansas in Little Rock, North Little Rock,
Benton, Clinton, Conway, El
Dorado, Heber Springs, Monticello, Morrilton, Mountain
Home, Russellville, Searcy and
Stuttgart.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies
are sponsored by the Stuttgart
Chamber of Commerce.
MEDICAL CENTER — Baptist Health Medical Center administrator Terry Amstutz joins Bethany
Hodges and Stephen Bell of the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce in welcoming Dr. Brad Baltz
to Stuttgart, along with Mayor Marianne Maynard and CARTI President and CEO Jan Burford.
Grand Prairie JOB Center celebrates finished expansion
n A ribbon-cutting ceremony
was held for the new expansion
at the Grand Prairie JOB Center.
Director Randy Pierce said
the expansion and renovation
would add 3,900 square feet
to the center, while renovating
4,970 square feet.
The entire project covers a
total of 8,870 square feet.
“The Grand Prairie JOB Center outgrew its existing facility
and needed an economical way
to revise its building and add
badly needed space,” Pierce
said.
The Grand Prairie JOB Center
is for adults with developmental
disabilities and has about 35
clients.
The center is located at 427 S.
Maple St. in Stuttgart.
Ribbon cutting ceremonies
are sponsored by the Stuttgart
Chamber of Commerce.
EXPANSION AND RENOVATION — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Grand Prairie
JOB Center for their recently completed renovation and expansion project.
SEE MORE PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK
You can find us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/stuttgartchamber
www.facebook.com/WCDCCStuttgart
New Members
• OLD POST DUCK LODGE– Duck guide service
and lodge
P.O. Box 23, Gillett, AR 72055
Telephone: (888) 764-3130
Email: info@oldpostducklodge.com
Website: www.oldpostducklodge.com
Contact: Office Manager Jennifer Menard
Duck Lodge Manager Kevin Williams
Ribbon Cutting planned
at new Ag-Pro building
BICENTENNIAL — Dyan Bohnert, County Judge Sonny Cox, Ruby Allen
and Claudia Ahrens attended the Business After Hours to mark the Arkansas
County Bicentennial in Stuttgart.
n A ribbon-cutting ceremony and Open House is
planned Tuesday, December 17, at the new Ag-Pro
Companies building in Stuttgart.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 1 p.m. and
the Open House will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Lunch will be provided. The new address is 1616
Highway 79 S.
Ag-Pro Companies has 7 store locations in Arkansas, as well as stores in Georgia, Florida and South
Carolina.
The company sells John Deere equipment for a
variety of needs. Ag-Pro Companies also provides
complete service and support for its products.
Local Economy
City sales tax revenues
FESTIVAL FUN — The annual World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest
and Wings Over the Prairie Festival offers plenty of fun for kids.
Current Year
Previous Year
November 350,144
343,369
October
361,381
384,861
September
380,058
339,274
August
343,997
352,642
July
356,249
331,136
June
333,562
363,297
May
373,220
358,001
April
349,183
370,043
March
364,890
328,132
February
449,160
477,339
CHRISTMAS PARADE — The 57th annual Stuttgart Christmas Parade was held December 9 on Main Street. This year’s parade
included more entries, a total of 17 floats, and two bands, the Stuttgart High School Band and the DeWitt High School Band. The
Christmas Parade is sponsored by the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce.
STUTTGART CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 1500
Stuttgart, AR 72160