Making a difference in morehouse Parish Volunteers are essential to a vibrant community.
One comment that I often hear is “I don’t know what they are doing”. This usually references a perceived deficiency on something important to the speaker. My response is usually to suggest that they get involved. I have never been able to define who “they” are but we have plenty of people working to make things better.
By Kay King, CEO Morehouse Economic Development Corporation 101 South Franklin St. Suite A Bastrop, LA Phone: 383-4000 morehouseedc@att.net
Kay King has been employed by the MEDC for the past eight years. She is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University and has a Masters Degree in Community and Economic Development from the University of Central Arkansas. She has also completed the three-year program at Community Development Institute in Conway Arkansas.
Morehouse Parish is blessed with a multitude of volunteers that work on everything from organizing events to renovating buildings. I am often asked how we motivate our citizens to participate. I am never sure how to answer that but we have some resident “bull dogs” that never seem to sleep. The great thing about the Bastrop is the size is large enough to have most amenities that you need but it is small enough to have that home town feeling of community. What you do as a group or individual can really make a visible difference. Among many of our active groups is the Keep Morehouse Beautiful organization. An affiliate of Keep Louisiana Beautiful, this group of volunteers takes on many ambitious projects including community based clean-ups. We have a great parish-wide solid waste collection program but there are always the mystery tires and piles that appear or accumulate over time. Through their collection drives, tons of debris has been removed from neighborhoods and rural areas
for proper disposal or recycling. Projects this past year included the first community organized clean-up of Bayou Bartholomew. They held a “Boatin’ on the Bayou” kayak event to raise awareness of the Bayou that emphasized clean scenery for outdoor recreational events. It was also a great event to showcase the Chemin-a-Haut State Park. Keep Morehouse Beautiful has recently worked with property owners to remove derelict structures along the main corridor that draws traffic from Sterlington and Monroe. Making a positive first impression is important to bringing new developments. They have achieved big results while working with local government, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and other organizations. If you are interested in finding a place to make an impact there are some great real estate values in Morehouse Parish. Properties offer opportunities for that hobby farm, outdoor recreation or just space to enjoy fresh air and the rural lifestyle. You have the necessities of life close by but are also within a short drive to the Monroe area. Check it out, you may find an opportunity to make a difference. Wherever you live, volunteer and serve your community. The best sales agent for your community is you.
Morehouse Parish and Morehouse Economic Development Corporation Welcomes our newest corporate citizen. Drax Biomass Announces Energy Project to Result in More than 200 New Direct and Indirect Jobs for Morehouse Parish Project producing wood-based pellets near Bastrop for U.K. energy generation will include Baton Rouge shipping facility and total capital investment of more than $120 million
Construction to Begin this Spring. photo courtesy of Vicki Adams, Bastrop Daily Enterprise.
Announced December 13th by Governor Bobby Jindal 58