The Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce today (Monday) heard from Madelaine Landry, the Executive Director of the LSUE Foundation. She is asking the Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce to join with other local chambers to provide scholarships for local students attending LSU-Eunice. She is proposing the Chamber consider asking its members to add $20 a year to its membership fees to be used to fund a LSU-Eunice scholarship. The same proposal is being considered by chambers in Eunice, Crowley and Opelousas. She stated that universities are spending $70 to $157 per student on scholarships at UL-Lafayette and LSU while LSU-Eunice is spending only $14 per student on scholarships.

    Pam McGee reported on the Ready City project. She said a site selector specialist recently paid a visit to the city to tour the city and report on its strengths and weaknesses. The specialist said the city had a lot to offer business and industry. “All we need to do is do a better job of marketing Ville Platte, “said McGee. He reported that we have two jewels: The  Industrial Park that was recently certified as a Industry ready park and Chicot State Park.

    Chamber Executive Director Camille Fontenot announced that the chamber currently has 162 members including the  newest  members: Deb’s Prints and Louisiana Family Practice.

    In other business the chamber:

--announced that its business of the month is the Evangeline Parish Police Jury;

--asked  members to send comments on whether the chamber should rotate the meeting place;

--announced that ribbon cutting for Deb’s Prints will be held Thursday Oct. 27 at 10:00am;

--the kickoff for the holiday shopping season will be Nov. 4 and 5 and called “Joyeaux Noel a la Ville Platte and encourages all shops to participate;

--announced that the annual Chamber of Commerce Open House will be held at La Veille Banque Dec. 1 at 5:30pm and the Christmas parade is set for Dec. 11 at 5;30pm.